Wasteland
by Chibi-Chanx
Summary: World War III struck the world, leaving devastation in it's place. Biological warfare, and nuclear bombs destroyed 90% of the worlds population. When the warning sirens started, Haruhi could not get away with the others. Leaving them with a six year separation before a chance meeting brings them together again. However, not everyone stayed the same. Blood was spilt, lines crossed.
1. Six Years

A/N: Hello, welcome to my new story! This is a post-apocolyptic story. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to wolverinacullen for reviewing my chapters and helping me keep rather sane while writing them.

**Pairings: **This story will have a couple scenes of TakaHaru, KyoHaru, TamaHaru. HOWEVER. This will not be focused on pairings at all.  
**Rated: **M**  
****Warning:** There will be **Major Character Death** in later chapters, so be warned. This is rated M after all.  
**Disclaimer: **I do _not_ own Ouran High School Host Club or any of the characters. I am only responsible for the plot line of this story and the writing.

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"_I want you here. I don't care if its a hundred degrees and every blade of grass dies. Without you, none of that matters to me." _

― _Kami Garcia_

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The silence was deafening. They laid in a circle listening to the silence of the night. Their fire long past from licking the darkness to flickering embers to cold ash. Their skin was chilled by the cool night, protected by thin blankets. A howl sounded in the distance and they froze, their fingers clenching tightly in fear. A glint of metal and the quiet noise of the safety on a gun clicking off. Their eyes flashed to a girl with dark brown hair, staring off into the distance, holding a gun. A boy sat beside her, a katana in his hands and his steel eyes narrowed in the same direction.

They stood up quietly but quickly, the girl turned and motioned them to stay silent. The boy moved first, slinking into the inky darkness and the girl quickly following him, backup. There was a growl, closer to their campsite than before. A sound of a blade slicing the darkness, and a yelp. Silence fell along, and the group sat up as the two came back. The silver katana tainted with dark, almost black, blood.

He wiped it off as the girl walked over to where she had been sleeping and lowered herself down. The boy draped his jacket over her shoulders and the camp relaxed. They were safe. One by one, the group slowly slid back to the ground. The girl leaned back on her hands as the boy lowered himself to the ground and stared up at the stairs. His eyes soon slipping shut.

Six years of not seeing her best friends in the entire world. Six years of this wasteland, that was once her hometown. Five years since her father died. Five years since she last felt truly loved. Four years since she found familiar faces. Four years of slowly filling the emptiness inside her. Three years since she saw someone killed by another human. Three years since she found two cousins. Two years since she felt that stab of pure agony and pain. Two years since her heart hardened.

Her fingers stroked the side of the gun, flicking the safety switch before placing it by her side and looking down at the face that reminded her so much of an old friend. It pained her every time she looked at him. She had been doing a sweep of the area when she found one bleeding from his arm after an attack, the other one had been trying to get some bandages from his bag. She helped, completely oblivious to their looks until after. Her heart had stopped. Seeing those two boys who looked so much like their older brothers, it nearly killed her. The dark haired one was always silly before this happened, and now he was quiet and reserved, but not above smacking his cousin whenever he said something rude.

A smile stretched over her lips, memories flashing in her mind as she thought back to before the third world war had happened. Obliterating billions of people and creating a wasteland of the world. Separating her from her friends. The smile faded at that thought and she leaned her chin against her palm staring up at the skies.

She had almost been in a relationship, she had stopped him from ruining his life by obeying everything that his grandmother said. She had announced her love for him, and he had returned those feelings, bringing her into a time of peace. Of course, fate decided to ruin her happiness. There had been tension in the world, and suddenly that tension erupted. There were bomb threats in every country and-

"Haruhi," a quiet voice broke her thoughts and fingers brushed her cheek. She looked down at the dark haired boy. "It's okay."

"Hm?" she murmured, lifting her hand and touching her cheek. Her cheeks were wet and she smiled awkwardly and quickly wiped the tears away. "Go back to sleep, Satoshi," he hummed stared up at the sky. Satoshi watched the girl before resting his hand on hers and squeezing it slightly before rolling to face the dead fire and closing his eyes.

Six years since he had last seen his parents. Five years since he had first killed one of the creatures. Four years since he saw his brother have a break down. Three years since he almost died before Haruhi saved them. Two years since he had changed from his carefree ways. A year since he had seen her smile naturally.

It made him sad that they weren't able to live the life that they had wanted. He knew from his brother Haruhi had wanted to become a lawyer. He wanted to open his own set of dojos and train people how to defend themselves. He had never been clear on his cousin's intent, even if he knew the boy the best out of everyone. It was hard. On all of them.

-X

The silence would've been deafening to him, if it weren't for the rain splattering on the trees around him. He had gone hunting earlier before the rain. When it was easier to find the animals, but he didn't notice the dark clouds lingering above. His fingers still head the bow as he bent down. Fingers brushing some leaves gently not moving them. A partial imprint in the leaves.

He knew the print immediately and quickly got up, racing across the leaves. Thankful that the rain provided cushion on the usually crunchy leaves. He dropped down once again, ignoring the feeling of the rain soaking him to the bone. It made him feel something other than nothing. Rain dripped down his face, occasionally obscuring his view. There was a snort of a boar and the man reached to the quiver on his hip. Drawing an arrow and nocking it silently.

Following the half-wiped away and muddied tracks, he soon found the beast. Making sure that it was a male before drawing the bow quietly. He inhaled, on the exhale his fingers released, and the arrow flew towards the boar. With a squeal, it fell, and then the patter of rain could only be heard. He got up, heading over to the beast and pulling the arrow from its abdomen and wiping it clean, making a mental note to clean the arrow properly once he got back. After that, he tied the beast's legs, just in case it wasn't dead, and lifted it onto his shoulder. They would be eating meat that night. He started the long and silent walk back to the house.

It was six years, they had counted. Kyouya always made a tally of the days gone by. They no longer cared if it was a Monday or Friday, none of that mattered anymore. They cared about the days themselves. Seeing birthdays or occasions they would normally celebrate coming up gave them some sense of happiness. Surviving until their next birthday. Gave them a bit of hope.

He stilled his footsteps, placing the beast onto the ground and leaning his bow against the tree. He yanked off his shirt and tossed it on a branch before letting the rain wash away the mud. It was the closest thing he could get to a shower lately. The others still clung to their rich ways, even by just a bit. They relished taking showers, and whenever they got some power, due to the solar panels on the roof collecting the bits of sun they did get, the others showered.

As he dragged his hands through his growing hair, he let out a grunt of anger, tugging at it quite painfully before sighing. That was just going to bring him pain, he had to go into town to get some more supplies. The twins broke the pair of scissors they did have, the medical ones at that. Now, if someone was injured it would be hard to do a lot of medical attention.

It was pressure on his shoulders. He had to take care of his cousins and brother, and before they would all help. However, that one fucking day destroyed it all, crumbled their fragile system of operation and the weight crashed down on his shoulders. His brother had been injured by another group, and he...he...the man turned and punched the nearest tree. Cursing loudly to no one.

Three years since he had seen his brother and younger cousin. Two years since he had changed, as the others constantly reminded him.

After thoroughly being soaked by the icy rain, he tugged his shirt back on, noting that the boar had bled onto it. Possibly had bled onto him as well, not that he had noticed. He grabbed the boar, tossing it back onto his shoulder. Grabbing his bow and trudging quickly back towards the house. Knowing that he could catch a cold, and in this situation, a cold could mean death.

-X

"Tamaki, will you quit!" a dark haired man growled, smacking the blonde who was looking out the window at the rain in a depressing manner. "It's already depressing enough without you trying to revert back to your old ways."

"He's been out there for more than an hour," Tamaki mumbled, rubbing his head and turning towards the others in the room. "Hani-senpai, could you...?"

"Takashi doesn't listen to me anymore. I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Senpai', we're not in school anymore..." Mitsukuni replied curtly. The group fell into silence and the twins exchanged a look of knowing. It had been three years since their group of eight became six. It was painful for any of them, but the tallest of the group had felt like he had failed.

In truth, all of them felt like they had failed, but none would admit that.

The rain continued to hammer against the windows, the only noise in the room. It took another hour but they heard the door downstairs open and then close. The sound of wet shoes against the floor before silence. They stayed silent until the tall dark haired man entered the room. One of the twins passed him a towel, and he thanked the ginger quietly. The first word he had spoken in a while. No one acted surprised, although they felt it inside. Tamaki cracked a small smile, but kept his attention outside.

"Tomorrow, I am going into town," Takashi announced, "We need more supplies," he added on in case they objected. Hikaru looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.

"We have enough food, we don't need to go-"

"I didn't say we," Takashi interrupted, looking at Hikaru. The boy fell silent and stood up, shaking his head.

"You can't go alone, it was your stupid rule that there must be two people if someone leaves," Hikaru waved towards the window, looking slightly irritated. Takashi shrugged a shoulder and made to leave. "Why do you want to go alone?"

"What day is it tomorrow?" Takashi asked quietly, and when no one spoke up, he let out a soft sigh.

"The fourth," Kyouya spoke up, looking up from his present notebook. "Of February," he clarified.

"What does that mean?" Takashi turned around, looking at them each in turn. No one knew. No one remembered. He ran a hand through his hair and turned, leaving the room appearing calm. However, when he shut the door. He slammed it so hard a picture fell from the wall. Everyone in the room flinched and stayed quiet. A minute later, there was another door slam. Mitsukuni looked at them, frowning slightly.

"I'll go talk to him," he murmured, knowing they were going to ask regardless and slipped from the room. The twins stood up and slid from the room, heading to their room. Tamaki looked over at Kyouya quietly. The man shrugged his shoulders ever so slightly.

"We'll figure it out by tomorrow," Kyouya murmured, "Just think."

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A/N: Ah, what did you guys think of the first chapter? I was thinking of doing a prologue, but I want there to be a certain amount of mystery about certain subjects. The next chapter will be longer, I promise!

In addition, can anyone think of what February the Fourth would mean to the Hosts? Ten brownie points to the people who guess!


	2. Reuniting Friends

"_The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are." _

— _John Pierpont_

There was a short yelp, and the rest woke up. The fire was burning gently again and they could smell the scent of cooking food. Rubbing their eyes, they saw Satoshi clutching his finger, which Haruhi was doing her best to cool the skin. "This is why you don't touch sticks that jump out of the fire," she murmured to him releasing his finger and turning towards the others. "Let's go back to the syndicate."

They were silent for a while, until Yasuchika finally nodded, "Let's make a stop for some supplies."

"Alright, there is a store in between," the red hair man spoke up, rolling his blanket up and shoving it unceremoniously into his bag. Haruhi moved over to him, pulling his hair up with a tie before going to Yasuchika and running her hand through his hair.

"We'll grab some scissors, you boys need a trim," she said with a slight twitch of her mouth. Chika pulled away from her hand and sent her a look. It wasn't that he didn't like her motherly like motions; it was just still too weird. She had adapted the role of their mother figure quickly, ever since that day.

They were silent for the rest of the morning as Haruhi gave them some of the cooked canned vegetables that they didn't quite enjoy but they didn't have the time to be able to grow fresh vegetables. Always moving about the city, without staying anywhere for too long. Haruhi shoved her blanket into her bag as Satoshi and Chika worked on dousing the fire with some dirt. The sun was just rising and they knew that the dogs would have gone into their hiding places for the day.

"Hey, Ritsu," Haruhi spoke quietly to the man as Satoshi and Chika went to scope the area for any creatures before they left. "Do you think we should leave the city? We might be able to make it to a cabin, it might be safer for them," she cocked a head towards the two boys. Even though they were only a year younger than she was, she still looked out for them as if they were much younger. They could easily kick her ass into next year with a flick of their wrists, but she didn't let that stop her from being protective. They were her friends, and the brothers of her old friends.

"It would be too dangerous to try, we could make it if we didn't need to bring so much stuff," Ritsu replied, over the last four years of being around each other constantly, he had lost his shyness around her. Embarrassing moments still made him flush deep red and revert to his old self, but normally he acted very much like a yakuza.

"We should try eventually, this lifestyle is too stressful on all of us," she commented quietly as the others jogged back. Giving the clear. Haruhi adjusted the straps of her bag before brushing her bags from her eyes. It was time for their haircuts. She couldn't even remember the last time she had cut her own hair, let alone the boys'.

They were quiet, almost too quiet as they moved down the street. Their feet occasionally scuffing the ground or kicking a rock. They didn't speak out in the open. The creatures could be listening, could be walking nearby, could be hiding. Anything. None of them wanted to alert the creatures to their position if they could help it. One of them would jog ahead and look around, checking for any signs before giving the clear or telling them to take a detour, delaying their advance towards the syndicate.

Haruhi leaned around the corner slightly, catching the sight of someone and quickly pulling back. Her heart beating loudly in her chest, she motioned for them to cut down the alleyway and go into the store the back way. They would exit the same way if the person, or creature, didn't leave. They crept quietly into the back. None wanted to risk attracting attention by attacking it. Ritsu took of the rear, not allowing Haruhi or the boys to get caught at the back. Chika slid against the wall by the door. Haruhi watched as the red head pulled off his bag and dig through it, pulling out a few tools before picking the lock with ease. Haruhi slid her gun from the holster, flicking the safety and slipping into the store.

The others held their breath as she searched the store, thankful that the blinds were drawn mostly over the front windows. She whistled lowly and they quickly headed in. Closing the door behind them. Not wanting to be snuck up on from behind. Haruhi had her bag off, gun in its holster, and looking at the foods.

Ritsu helped her with the food while Satoshi went to get other items they may need, such as blankets and clothes. Chika stood, peering out the front window from a slit to ensure they were still safe. They filled the light bags with the items. Haruhi held up a hand and went over to the pharmacy. Just before she could grab what she wanted, she heard Chika let out a low whistle.

The four of them grabbed their bags and hid in various locations. Haruhi jumped over the counter of the pharmacy and hurried to a back portion. The lights were off, but she slid into it with ease. However, what she thought was empty. Wasn't. Her back hit something human and her mouth opened to shout out to the others. A hand clamped around her mouth and an arm encircled her waist.

"Let those things pass," a deep voice grumbled quietly in her ear. She had to think back on the words before they became clear. They were silent; Haruhi's heart was beating furiously. She didn't do well with not being able to see the person, and she_ really_ wanted to shout out to her friends and drive her bullets into his chest. However, the man wasn't attacking at that moment, and she wouldn't risk those_ things_ attacking the store if they heard something coming from there.

After what seemed like forever, she heard a sigh from the store. "They're gone," Chika whispered. The body behind her tensed. Haruhi clipped her elbow into his chest and twisted out of his grip. Yanking her gun out and pointing it at his head.

"Give me a reason," she hissed at the man, his body still obscured by the shadows. The others looked over, pulling their weapons out. Tanned hands rose up and the man stepped forwards. Haruhi's eyes widened in recognition. "That's a reason," she muttered under her breath. Lowering the weapon.

Satoshi dropped his katana. "Takashi!" he nearly shouted, everyone tensed and Haruhi gave him the darkest look. They froze; Chika dashed to the window and glanced out.

"One is coming back," he hissed. Haruhi pulled her pack on, jumping over the counter quietly and grabbing some items from the pharmacy, shoving them into her bag before waving towards the back. Ritsu shook his head, the side of his head pressed to the door. One was in the alley. Haruhi felt a sense of dread crawling up her spine, but she took a deep breath. Think. That's what she needed to do. Takashi being there was set on the back burner for now.

"Roof," a deep voice grumbled waving towards a door. Haruhi gave him a look that could be deciphered two ways before nodding her head. The boys didn't move until Haruhi gave the notion that she accepted this. Takashi opened the door and the boys hurried up the stairs. Haruhi quickly followed, making sure Takashi was right behind her. The door opened onto the roof. It was closed quickly.

"Shit," Ritsu growled, looking around wildly. Chika pointed at the building next to them. They could jump it. Haruhi looked over the edge before giving the thumbs up. Satoshi was the first to launch himself across the distance, it wasn't that far. Maybe four foot gap. Chika followed, and Ritsu after him. Haruhi turned towards Takashi, motioning for him to do it when there was an inhumane growl from the door. Takashi didn't even wait. He ran towards the edge, grabbing Haruhi and lifting her up as he did so. He jumped easily across the gap. When he placed her down, they took off, running as fast as their legs could carry them. The roof of the building beside the store was flat for the most part. There was a section where the building molded with another; the second building had a higher roof. The boys were easily able to climb up it, but had to grab onto Haruhi and hoist her up.

They took a brief look back when they heard the metal door being slammed on. Haruhi grumbled something inaudible before dropping her bag onto the ground and digging through it. "Haruhi, this isn't the time for-"

She pulled out a silencer and quickly attached it to her handgun. Satoshi grabbed her arm, looking at her in concern, "You're not going to try to kill it?"

Haruhi raised her eyebrow before going towards the street and aiming the gun towards a car near the shop. There was the muffled sound of the gunshot, and the recoil before a car alarm went off wildly. She was mildly surprised it worked. The bullet broke the windshield, and obviously, the car still had battery left over. The noise of the door being slowly pushed from its hinges quieted and then glass shattered. They saw the two brutes but didn't give them another thought. They were distracted, and that's all that mattered.

"We'll continue on roof top, and then go down at the next street," Haruhi suggested, unscrewing the silencer and shoving it back into its protected area before yanking her bag pack on. The group didn't need to be told twice before they were running again, quickly and quietly over the rooftops. They occasionally had to find a better way, as there were gaps too wide or the roof beside them was too high. Or both. It took a grand total of thirty minutes before they were on the ground again and quickly heading towards the syndicate. Takashi was trailing along with them as if he had always been a part of the group.

The syndicate looked a lot like it had before the war, but the door was damaged and there were pieces of wood and steel keeping the creatures out. Satoshi and Chika quickly hoisted Ritsu onto the fence before the man tossed his bag down to the ground on the other side. He quickly turned around and helped Satoshi up. The two of them helped Chika up. Takashi hoisted Haruhi up without question and then he got helped up last.

The group then ducked into the syndicate and the group tossed their bags onto the ground. Haruhi took a step towards the couch before lowering herself down and rubbing her thighs. They ached. They barely had to run, but when they did it usually took a lot out of her. Satoshi offered her some water with a concerned look. She accepted it with a smile before the boy turned towards his brother.

"Takashi, I thought you were dead," he spoke, choking slightly, getting straight to the point. He stepped forwards, his hand touching his brothers shoulder, it was amazing how much alike they looked. They were nearly the same height. Satoshi just shy by three inches, both had stubble on their chins, Takashi's more well kept than Satoshi's. It was clear that neither man had shaved in a while.

"I thought you were as well," Takashi replied earnestly, his eyes flickering towards Chika, and Haruhi, addressing them also in that sentence. Satoshi didn't miss a beat before he pulled his older brother into a hug. Not caring when tears fell from his face and he sobbed into the boys shoulder. Haruhi lowered the water bottle from her lips swallowing thickly. She had not yet drank any, and placed it on the table. Haruhi nearly broke down crying as well when she saw a few tears slip down Takashi's face as he hugged his brother back.

Chika stood up, patting Takashi on the back. It was great for him to see a family member, but Takashi wasn't the man he wanted, nor needed, to see. Even if he and Mitsukuni never truly got along before, he respected and even loved his brother. He wanted to see Mitsukuni, the last living member of his immediate family that he knew of.

Haruhi left the room, Ritsu following her. Allowing the family members to cry and cling to their memories together. Ritsu touched her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. The next time he tried, he clutched her tighter. "You didn't have water."

"I don't need any," she insisted, when Ritsu went to argue. Satoshi threw the door open and looked at her.

"What are you two doing," he called, louder than he had been in a while, "Come and see Takashi."

Haruhi pulled away from Ritsu's grip and brushed past him. "You can force me to drink it later," she whispered before entering the room. Takashi was sitting down now, wiping his face with a cloth offered by Chika. She walked over and placed a hand on his back, bending down.

"Are you okay?" she whispered quietly. Those grey eyes flickered up to her brown eyes, brimming with red from the tears. It was an obvious question with an obvious answer, and yet she asked it. Logical Haruhi had asked a question that wasn't so logical given the circumstances. "I mean up here," she commented lightly, tapping his head with a finger. His eyebrows rose slightly, making a non-committal noise. Haruhi let out a short, dry laugh.

He pulled her into his lap, and she felt his almost bone-crushing grip. Her arms wrapped around him and she hugged him just as tightly. Satoshi and Chika shared a look as a tear slipped from Takashi's eyes, but Haruhi didn't even bat an eyelash. They left the room, dragging Ritsu with them. Declaring they were going to check the fence.

It felt like forever, but at the same time so short, when he finally loosened his grip. Haruhi moved from his lap, sitting on the coffee table in front of him instead. "Happy birthday," he murmured, eyes locking with hers. Haruhi's eyes widened ever so slightly and she counted on her fingers.

"It's the fourth?" she asked in surprise, "I haven't been keeping track," she admitted with a slight embarrassed chuckle. Running a hand through her hair and sighed. "Happy five belated birthdays," she said with a slight smile. "What are you doing here?" she asked, the smile fading from her lips. As much as a ghost as their days at the club.

"To gather supplies," he answered simply, in his usual familiar way. Haruhi nodded, swallowing lightly.

"...and the others?" she asked, being slightly vague who she was referring to, but she knew that he knew the question wasn't vague at all. He knew exactly to whom she was referring.

"All safe and alive," he commented, "About an hour out of town," he waved vaguely in the direction of where he had entered the city. Haruhi counted on her fingers briefly. That would mean he had been walking just about two hours before he had to run for almost another hour. Just the thought of running made her exhausted.

"You should stay the night," she commented, "It'll be dark soon and you don't want to be out there," she waved towards the window, "When the dark comes."

"I need to get back," Takashi stood up, "They'll be worried."

"You didn't get anything," she added lightly, standing up. "I'm not allowing you to go alone in the dark. You'll get killed."

Takashi placing his hands on her shoulders, "You and the others come with me. See the others again," he whispered quietly. Haruhi thought about it. At first, the thought scared her. Seeing them after six years, after all this...unnecessary violence and slaughter. Not only in the war, but also just in her life afterwards. She didn't want to know how they had changed. She had changed so much, Satoshi and Chika changed since she found them. Ritsu changed. So far, Takashi didn't seem like he had changed, but she could never tell.

Haruhi chewed on her lip lightly, "I'll have to ask the others."

Without another thought, she slipped away and out the door. She quickly found the three out in the yard looking like they were about to repair a part in the fence. Walking up behind them quietly she sighed, "He wants us to go with him, today."

"There is only less than an hour of light," Ritsu spoke, not turning around, but lowering the piece of metal, "If we do we could be caught by the dogs."

"If we hurry we will be in the forest just before they come out," Satoshi commented, trying to see both sides of the argument, "It's an hour walking, but we could jog-"

"Haruhi can't do that much," Chika interrupted, "She's weak."

Haruhi smacked him on the back of the head and grumbled, "Insomnia is not weakness," she wanted to turn on her heel and storm back into the house, but there was more important things to deal with than a rude Chika. She had gotten used to him, mostly. The other silently debated the pros and cons.

Ritsu knew that the three wanted, no – needed, to see the ex-hosts. He couldn't deny them that, and Yasuchika hadn't seen his brother in two years. However, "Why did we need to leave that night?" he questioned, straightening.

"If one of us left and didn't come back when we promised, how would we react?" Haruhi replied simply, "If we want to go with him, we'll have to decide now."

"It'll take us a while to get our things together," Ritsu sighed, but the two boys knew he had agreed. Haruhi smiled at him and patted his shoulder, mouthing thanks. He nodded, "Satoshi, you go ask Mori if he can spare some room in his pack to carry some supplies. Everyone else, we'll need to pack our gear and be ready to leave in fifteen minutes if we want to make it far enough."

Satoshi jogged inside, leaving the other two boys to scrap the supplies they were using to secure the walls. Haruhi whispered something to Ritsu when Chika was distracted before heading inside. Takashi was listening to his brother talk animatedly about how they were going with him, and then asked the question. There was no hesitation when Takashi nodded. Haruhi smiled before ducking into her room. She rolled up the sleeping mat, grabbed the two frames in the corner and pulled the pictures out.

It barely took her three minutes to decide what she needed and what she could leave behind. She placed her bag that was still full of the food and other supplies by the door where two other packs sat. She entered the supply room and saw Satoshi and Takashi putting things into their bags. She walked over, taking something from Satoshi's bag. "We don't need this," she murmured lightly.

"They're good," Satoshi replied, putting them back into his bag. Haruhi let out a sigh, as if she was irritated, but the corner of her mouth twitched upwards. Slipping past the two boys, she looked at the ammo. "We don't need bullets," he shot at her, with a smirk.

"You don't," she patted her arm, "I don't have the upper muscle strength, so I need them."

"I've offered to train you," Satoshi stated offhandedly as she pulled a magazine down and checked it before grabbing a few more. Takashi watched the two react quietly.

"We haven't had time for that," she retorted, giving the younger Morinozuka a look. Her gaze shifted towards Takashi, "Do you have a weapon?" he shook his head, Haruhi's eyebrow rose in disbelief. "What did you expect to do if those _things_ attacked you?" she scolded, lightly hitting his chest with the magazine.

"I think we have an extra weapon around here," Satoshi jumped at the opportunity and quickly waded through the boxes and into the back. The two watched as he shifted around before straightening up and turning around. A dagger in his hands. Haruhi stifled a laugh.

"What is he suppose to do with that?"

"It's a weapon isn't it!? You could just give him one of your guns," he jumped back over and handed the dagger to his brother. The taller man took it and examined it as Haruhi made a noise.

"I suppose," she detached one of her holsters and offered it to her old friend, "Do you know how to shoot?"

Takashi looked at the weapon she offered, and stiffened slightly. Shaking his head. He didn't like guns before the apocalypse and decided that he would stick with more traditional weapons. Swords and archery mostly. It was stupid that he had left without any weapon, but he thought it was going to be a quick and simple journey. It always had been before. Haruhi let out a sigh and offered it to him again.

"I would say 'just point and shoot' but it's a bit more difficult than that," she said with a small laugh, "Ritsu taught me, so you should ask him. He knows more about it than I do."

Takashi nodded, accepting the gun. Haruhi showed him how to properly attach the holster before she headed into the other room when Ritsu whistled. It was time to leave. With a swift move, Haruhi had her backpack on. Ritsu handed her a hair tie. "You still need to cut our hair."

"We'll worry about that later," she promised, pulling her long bangs back into a ponytail. Takashi thought about how different she looked when her bangs will pulled back. Ritsu and Satoshi told them to wait while they scoped out the area. Takashi placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him. His finger brushed a scar that ran from her temple to her nose. "Don't worry about it," she hummed with a smile, "I've had worse."

A/N: More happened in the past to the two groups than I think anyone realizes, besides Satoshi and Chika who were part of both groups at one point. Of course, they don't know what had happened since they were separated.

R&R buddies~


	3. The Pension

"_Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." _

— _C.S. Lewis_

* * *

Their quick pace was familiar to them, but at the same time, everything was different. Satoshi, who normally would keep his eyes ahead and scanning the streets for signs of the creatures, kept looking back. Making sure his brother was there. Haruhi felt a weight settle on her shoulders, not a physical weight. She felt responsible for not only Takashi's life, but she feared that she screwed everyone over by doing this. Ritsu and Chika acted like nothing was different, pretending to be blissfully unaware of the entire situation. Takashi, himself, kept his eyes shifting from the four, wondering why they were so antsy at making it out of the city before night fall.

They had said something about dogs, and Takashi couldn't understand why they were afraid of some animals. Satoshi knew how easily Takashi was able to tame any animal, but the man was acting as if it didn't matter if he was there or not. However, the unease of the group made it so he felt a lot better about the gun attached to his hip. He felt even better about the fact that its twin was attached to Haruhi.

There was so much he wanted to ask them, but knew that they would just have to repeat anything he asked when they got back to the house. If she got through the others over joyous reply to her being alive. Takashi still didn't understand exactly _how_ she had survived the first couple years; she was the laziest person in the world. He had thought...well, at points where he was feeling especially morbid and angry with himself, he had thought that she had simply given up and let herself be killed by the creatures. Of course, he would never admit that out loud.

Ritsu made a motion and the group jogged for the next ten minutes, trying to gather up for lost time. However, just at the end, Haruhi's foot caught on a rock and she fell. The group quickly halted and Haruhi cursed quietly. Pushing up onto her knees. Her hands and knees were skinned. It stung and she brushed the rocks quickly out before climbing to her feet. There was the question in the other's eyes, 'Why didn't you see that?' She ignored their silent question and nodded slightly. Telling them to press on.

Takashi wanted to stop and wrap her wounds, but knew that they had to continue if they wanted to make it out of the city before nightfall. Also, from the look in her eyes, she didn't want to be helped regardless of how she was injured. The night was coming on them fast and their fear heightened. The dogs would be out soon.

The forest was in sight, the road went straight into it. Satoshi gave a victorious fist pump. Even if they weren't able to make it there before the sun completely set, they would be able to go quiet far into it before the dogs even realized they had been out during the night. Haruhi smiled slightly as the group picked up the pace. However, she felt something trickle down her hand. Raising it up, she saw a droplet of blood staining her skin red.

Her eyes widened and she stopped in her shock. The group took just thirty seconds before they realized she wasn't with them and turned back around. It was Chika who was the first to run back, grabbing her arm before seeing her blood. He then cursed, shoving her forwards lightly. "Run."

Haruhi didn't react at first until she heard a growl from the side street. Her eyes flashed over there, hand going to the holster but her hand brushed against the fabric and she hissed. Chika didn't bother keeping quiet, "Fuck! Haruhi, run!" he shouted this time, grabbing her arm and tugging her. It snapped her out and she scrambled to gain her footing before they were running towards the others.

Takashi and Satoshi both had their weapons at the ready. A dog burst into the main street. Takashi's eyes widened, that was not a normal dog. It was mutated, and looked like it had been attacked by something before. One of its ears was missing, and a deep gash in the skin went to it eye. He didn't lose his nerve, however, and steeled the gun. The dog gnashed its teeth and growled. Haruhi and Chika slowed down once they got to the others. Haruhi grabbed onto Takashi's arm before he could do anything. "It'll attract others," she warned. Takashi looked at her, a look of complete incredulity on his face. Why was he given the gun then?

The dog walked forwards slowly, Satoshi shifted the blade in his hand slightly. "Come on you bastard," he whispered quietly, earning a look from his brother. Haruhi looked at her hands briefly. That was all the dog needed, ignoring the others and focusing on his prey, he lunged. Satoshi swing the blade skillfully, but the dog stopped short and turned towards Satoshi this time. It snapped at the blade before moving quickly, cutting through Satoshi's legs and jumping again at Haruhi.

When she moved to jump out of the way, she realized that Takashi was still there. Instead she steeled her nerves; no way was he getting hurt. However, Takashi had other plans. Grabbing her and jumping to the side. The dog skidded on the pavement before jumping again. It's teeth sank into the flesh of Takashi's calf and he let out a shout in surprise. Satoshi moved fast, his brother was in danger. The blade was quick as it sank into the beast's side.

Haruhi pulled out her gun at the same time and drove a bullet into the creature's neck. It was silent with the ringing of the gun still in their ears. Takashi stumbled slightly, and Ritsu cursed. "He'll have to bleed until we can get into the forest, they won't go in there."

"Ritsu, give your bag to Chika," Haruhi demanded before pulling Takashi's bag off and carrying it along with her bag. "We'll have to be quick," she ordered, sounding calm. Instead, however, her heart was racing at a fast pace. If they lost Takashi just after they had found him...she would never forgive herself, and she knew Satoshi wouldn't forgive himself either, nor her probably. Ritsu supported Takashi's injured side and the group moved as fast as they could. It didn't take a genius to realize that the gunfire had attracted more dogs and creatures to the area.

Dogs, they could deal with. Creatures? They didn't even want to think about what would happen if one of them saw them. It pushed them to go faster, and soon they broke into the edge of the forest. Hearing the howls as the dogs found their dead brother. They didn't stop until they were at least ten minutes into the forest, then they lowered Takashi to the ground. Haruhi tossed off both of the packs and quickly dug through hers. Finding the medical supply and tossing it to Chika as she looked for painkillers and grabbed a water bottle. After dropping two of the pills into her hand she moved over to him and forced him to take them. After she was satisfied that he had swallowed them down she turned her attention to his calf.

Chika was cleaning it thoroughly. Haruhi examined the bite before looking at Takashi. "We'll have to stitch it," she whispered and saw his eyes widened slightly. Haruhi smiled gently, tapping her facial scar, "Don't worry, we've done this before."

Takashi swallowed thickly before nodding. Haruhi moved, threading her fingers into his and squeezing it reassuringly as Satoshi readied the needle and handed it to Ritsu who took over the place of Chika. Haruhi watched as the needle dug into his skin and then looked at his face, reassuring that he wasn't in too much pain. His fingers clenched hers ever so often and she brushed his bangs from his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she spoke quietly; "I shouldn't have been so stupid."

Takashi and Satoshi both looked at her, before sharing a look. Takashi wasn't in the mood to reply to her, the pain of the needle pushing through his already sore skin was irritating him. He knew it wasn't her fault, it was his. If he had just shot instead of listened to her, they would've made it out unscathed. All the same, he squeezed her hand gently in a, hopefully, reassuring way.

Soon, the pain lessened and Ritsu stopped. They washed away most of the blood with a bit of water before Haruhi took over and wrapped it. They rested for a few more minutes, all silently listening to the distant growls and yelps of the dogs. Probably fighting over the flesh of the dead one. Ritsu stood up after a while, finding the noise too disturbing to linger there any longer. Haruhi took Takashi and her own bags again, until Satoshi pulled his brothers from her and strode ahead. With a sigh she followed, making sure that Ritsu had Takashi.

The walk through the woods in the dark was a piece of cake to the four compared to walking in the city in the dark. They didn't fear something running up to them, as most animals had fled deeper into the forest when the fighting started, and they went to sleep during the night. Any animals that went into the cities too soon were turned into the creatures that the group feared so much.

Haruhi took a step, felt a tug on her leg and was flipped upside down. An involuntary shout left her lips as her bag slid from her shoulders and fell to the ground. Her shirt slid down, and she struggled, trying to figure out what had a grip on her leg. Takashi could see the scars that cut across the once smooth flesh of her stomach. They defiantly had it worse in the city; he could count the number of scars he had gotten from the beginning of the end on one hand.

Satoshi dropped his things before jumping onto a branch of the tree and climbing up it swiftly. He found where the rope was attached to a branch. His fingers worked deftly as he untied it and loosened it. Lowering her to the ground, afraid that if he cut it she would hit her head on something and get hurt. Chika grabbed her so she wouldn't be deposited on the ground and righted her quickly.

"What the fuck?" Ritsu breathed, "Those ropes were recently placed there," he commented, as Haruhi tugged it off and tossed it aside. Looking thoroughly pissed off by the object, then again who wouldn't be angry when they are yanked off the ground, get rope burns on their ankle and then hang around with their bra showing before they are let down. Haruhi was just thankful she decided to still wear bras, or that would've been a much more awkward experience.

Takashi knew who had placed the ropes there, and knew that they didn't have to worry about it. He was slightly ashamed he forgot to warn them that there was traps set up just in case any other groups got to close to their 'base camp' as the twins liked to call it. Haruhi grumbled, it just wasn't her day. He made a mental note to get Kyouya to look at her injuries when they got back.

A knife flew out, slamming into the tree as Satoshi jumped down. The knife dug into the bark, catching the boys shirt along with it. Haruhi jumped to her feet, yanking her gun out and pointing it in the direction the knife came from. There was the menacing sound of a gun's hammer clicking. Signalling that the gun was ready to fire. The muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of Haruhi's neck. She sucked in a deep breath.

Everyone was silent; Haruhi looked like she wanted to kill someone as she dropped her gun down. The gun pressed against her neck didn't move, however. "Put our friend down," the cool voice behind her hissed.

"Kyouya-" Takashi started. Haruhi moved quickly. Slamming her elbow into Kyouya's stomach, twisting around and grabbing the arm that held the gun. She twisted it, eliciting a shout of pain from Kyouya, and he dropped the gun. Once the gun was removed, she kicked it away and stepped back. Panting, mostly from the fact that she had just let go of her breath.

She heard a shout and barely had time to react. However, Chika quickly located the attacker and slammed his foot into him. Knocking him to the ground. Satoshi ripped the knife out of his shirt and stared at the hole; both looked completely calm with the situation. "Damn it, Mitsukuni, I liked this shirt!"

Haruhi turned around, seeing the older man scramble to his feet and smiled innocently at Satoshi then turned towards Haruhi. He gave her a look, not recognizing her, and then moved to Takashi. "Takashi, are you okay? What happened?"

"Attacked by dogs," he grunted out, Haruhi picked up her gun and shoved it back into her holster. "You probably shouldn't have attacked them..."

"We thought they had hurt you," Kyouya commented icily, looking at Ritsu and then at Haruhi. Not recognizing either of them. Haruhi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thanks for the trap," she pointed slightly at the ropes, "I feel so welcome."

Kyouya looked at her icily. Satoshi nudged Haruhi, giving her a look and nodding to the side. Haruhi followed him and they spoke in hushed tones. Kyouya inspected the bite before saying that the stitching job was good before wrapping the wound back up. The small blonde turned towards his brother, they were silent before Chika adjusted the fake glasses on his face before stepping forwards and hugging him. Mitsukuni started to cry, hugging his brother. Apologizing for not finding and helping him. Apologizing for anything and everything. Eventually Chika pulled away and insulted his brother, but with a smile. Ritsu listened in on Satoshi and Haruhi's conversation, not caring fully if he was prying.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"They can't see you clearly in the dark, and you are being a, no offence, bitch."

"You know, saying 'no offence' doesn't make an offensive remark magically un-offensive," Haruhi replied, giving him a blank stare, but continuing. "I'm not in the best mood right now. I was just pulled off my feet and dangled in the air, trudged through the forest in the dark, and one of my old best friends was attacked because of me."

Satoshi sighed, giving her a hug, which she didn't return. She never did. "Just, don't speak until we get to safety or Kyouya might decide you shouldn't be invited to the house."

Haruhi let out an irritated sigh into his chest before he pulled away and jogged over to his brother. Ritsu walked up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a smile. She walked over to her bag and pulled it onto her shoulder when Kyouya helped Takashi to his feet. Ritsu hurried over, helping the man.

Mitsukuni stayed by his brother's side, chattering insistently trying to figure out everything that happened. Chika kept glancing back at Haruhi, wanting to know if he should say anything. She just jutted her chin out slightly, telling him to wait until the others were with them. It wouldn't make sense for them to retell the story twice.

-X

The house was more like a mansion. Actually, if they had gone to the front of the house and entered the fenced area they would've seen a chipped wooden sign with fading paint, which would've had the words pension etched into the wood. Of course, they didn't. Haruhi slowed down slightly taken in the sight. Satoshi ran forwards shouting happily. Haruhi hadn't seen him act like that in the longest time.

The noise alerted the residents of the house. A window was thrown open and a lump formed in her throat. The twins leaned out, staring down. Their orange hair grown out long, but still stylish. If that was even possible in the apocalyptic situation. Their golden eyes taken in the sight with amusement. Hikaru leaned forwards, waving at them. "Satoshi! Yasuchika! You're back!" he shouted down to them. Tamaki burst out the door, sweeping Satoshi up into a hug. Although he was pushed away by Kyouya.

"Hikaru, Kaoru! Get the medical room ready for Takashi," Kyouya shouted up before opening the door and letting the group in. Tamaki was ecstatic by the new arrivals.

"You brought two friends!" Tamaki spoke flamboyantly once he caught sight of Ritsu and Haruhi standing to the side while greetings were out of the way. Kyouya brought Takashi into the medical room where they could hear Tamaki speaking and then flirting with Haruhi. Who didn't know how to react and just resorted to being blunt, telling him it wasn't the time. Officially sending him to a corner for the first time in the longest time.

Kyouya cleaned the wound thoroughly with antiseptic. It was one of those moments he was glad his family owned a large chain of hospitals and he grew up learning about medicines. They were silent, content. Until Kyouya felt that the question in his mind burning in his throat, scrambling to get out. "Who are they?"

"Haruhi and Kasanoda," Takashi murmured quietly, hissing when Kyouya's hand pressed too hard into the sensitive skin. His glasses slipped down his nose and he stared at Takashi in shock.

"You're shitting me..." he muttered shoving his glasses back up, masking his emotions and removing his hand from Takashi's calf. The man shook his head. Kyouya finished taking care of Takashi before letting him sit down on a chair and slipped out of the room. He found Haruhi talking quietly to Ritsu and took her arm. "You're injured," he waved towards the hallway. "Infections can become deadly now."

Haruhi nodded before looking at Ritsu, "We'll talk later," she promised before following Kyouya. She sat down on the cot and Kyouya shut the door behind her. He walked over, studying Haruhi's face. Taking in her scars, the dark circles under her eyes, the slouch of her small shoulders. She was exhausted. He readied some a new cloth and cleaned the dried blood from the cuts on her knees and hands. Silent the entire time. He put antiseptic on her knees and hands before lifting her foot up and looking at the rope burn. He put some antiseptic where there were cuts from her fingers trying to scratch at it.

They were silent as he wrapped it in a cool cloth to stop the burning from doing too much damage to her skin. He let go of her leg after propping it up. As he washed his hands he was silent. When he turned around, he reached up and brushed his fingers against her scar. Her hand grabbed his wrist; a dark look passed her face. "How'd you get that?"

"I was attacked, obviously," Haruhi muttered darkly. Kyouya didn't understand the look on her face. His onyx eyes flashed to Takashi's metallic eyes. Kyouya looked back at the door before lowering his voice.

"I'm sorry, Haruhi," he murmured quietly, "We thought you were dead." Haruhi's mouth opened and closed. Unsure of what to say. So he did recognize her? Obviously he didn't recognize her before he threatened her. He removed his hand from her and smiled slightly. "Why don't we join the others? We should probably tell the others you are alive, they'll want to hear your story-"

"No, Haruhi should rest," Takashi interrupted, frowning at Kyouya. It was silent; Kyouya pressed his lips together tightly. Looking like he wanted to contradict the older man, but Takashi rose one of his eyebrows slightly. Haruhi swallowed thickly, things had certainly changed.

"Ano, I have insomnia," she spoke up, almost quietly. "I haven't been able to get to sleep for hours no matter how I tried for the last year. I sleep maybe four hours at the most."

Kyouya stared at Haruhi curiously. Firing off a few questions, which she answered yes to most. He frowned slightly. "Well...I believe that it was your nervousness about being attacked in the night. You won't have the same fear here."

"She can rest in my room," Takashi spoke up after Kyouya finished, "She is not to be asked any questions until she has slept some. The others need to rest as well; they were running most of the day."

Kyouya's jaw clenched but he nodded, bowing his head slightly and left. Haruhi looked at the bandages around her knees and flexed them. They felt stiff, but would probably loosen up soon. She avoided Takashi's eyes for the longest time, even though he was staring holes into the side of her head. Finally, she swallowed and glanced up at him. "Times have changed."

"New experiences always changes things," Takashi replied simply, shrugging a shoulder. Nestling into the chair. Haruhi lifted the cool cloth around her ankle and touched her skin. It was cooler now and she was sure the burn was on its way too healing already. She gathered her courage before raising her eyes to his.

"I don't think this is for the better," she whispered, almost as if she were afraid of him. Although she wasn't, she just didn't want anyone to hear her. Takashi stood up, hobbling over, using the cot to support him. He stopped just to the side of her; he reached up and touched the raised flesh on her forehead. She shook her head, "I would take these injuries over again, they were caused because I was protecting those I loved."

"Then what?"

"I don't know about Tamaki and the twins, but everyone has changed. Mitsukuni seems older, you seem more..." she trailed off not knowing exactly how to explain his change, assertive? Demanding? Kyouya-ish? "Kyouya seems more caring and didn't snap at you for ordering him around."

"There is nothing for him to gain if he doesn't listen to me," Takashi murmured shrugging a shoulder, "Money is nothing now." Haruhi nodded her head, it was paper. Useless paper that could be found everywhere. Commoner or rich, they were the same. Takashi looked at her, his fingers hesitantly touching her jaw and tilting her head up slightly. "Kyouya was telling the truth when he said we thought you were dead."

"You would've found me if you didn't think that," Haruhi breathed quietly, smiling slightly. "Tamaki would've ordered everyone to find me if there was an inkling of a chance that I survived."

She felt his fingers tense at the mention of Tamaki. "Do you still love him?"

Haruhi's eyes searched his before she pulled away from his fingers slightly. "I...don't know..." she trailed off feeling guilty. "If he's changed then I don't know, but if he's still the same. I still don't know. Our feelings are six year old. Six years of changing and thinking the other is dead. If we feel anything...it could be the relief of knowing the person we use to love is alive."

Takashi moved his finger to take her jaw again; he lowered down until his lips were just inches from hers. He saw that she wasn't reacting any different to him, he would've been standing across the room or that close to her and she would've stared at him with the same look. He closed the distance. Placing his lips to hers before pulling away.

Haruhi swallowed thickly. "A relationship wouldn't be good to have at this time," she whispered logically. Takashi reached up and pulled her hair from the hair tie and let it fall down. Her bangs covering her face, something that greatly annoyed her. She tucked them behind her ear before looking at him. "Ah, I need to cut my hair," she changed the subject. He just smiled slightly and moved back to the chair before Kyouya opened the door.

"It took some convincing but Satoshi, Yasuchika and Bossa Nova are both sleeping in beds upstairs," Kyouya adjusted his glasses and looked at Haruhi. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders. Looking more like the girl in her grade nine photo than the girl he had seen six years ago. "They are happy with actually having beds."

"I will be too," Haruhi commented lightly, "Before we talk to the others tomorrow, I need to cut my hair," she tugged at the end. "Also, I need to cut Ritsu and the others. So, before they come to get us, can you wait until we're ready?"

Kyouya nodded with a smile before standing to the side, "Anything for an old friend," he replied waving towards the door, "I'll show you to Takashi's bedroom, he'll have to sleep on the couch for a while until we find a way to get him up the stairs without him putting pressure on his wound."

Haruhi nodded and disappeared with Kyouya up into the hall and up the stairs.

A/N: A romance between Haruhi and Takashi? Who knows? Keep in mind that Takashi was attacked and walked for two hours to get into the city, had to run for an hour, and then walked two hours to get back, and half of that last two hours was walking with a wound on his leg. So, are his actions because of sleepiness?

Just to remind you guys, there will be a bit of romance at the start, but most of those feelings are like Haruhi said: because of the relief of knowing that person is alive.

Anyways, I'll explain (most) of Haruhi's life the past six years next chapter. That is, if Tamaki and the twins will get over the fact that she is alive *laughs*


	4. Denial and Realization

"_Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real." _

― _Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses_

* * *

Dark locks fell to the ground as Satoshi squirmed below Haruhi. She grumbled and snipped another lock of his hair. "If you would sit still," she grunted, pushing her elbow into his shoulder, yanking a yelp from him, "This would go faster!"

"Stop being a stubborn child," Chika replied, rolling in the bed he had slept in years ago. He yanked the blankets over his head. Trying to get a few precious moments of sleep back. Haruhi looked over at the tuff of dark blonde hair. She had already cut his hair, much to his anger. It was now shorter and not covering his eyes. Satoshi let out an irritated sigh.

"If you had a razor you could just shave our heads," he mumbled, Haruhi finished cutting his hair with a smile and shook her long hair.

"Power doesn't work any more," she commented dusting the hairs into a pile and tossing them into a bin to be thrown outside later. She brushed her still long hair from her face. "If it did, I would love to just shave your heads every couple months. It would be easier than getting you to sit your ass down for a half hour."

Satoshi made a face at her before twisting the chair around and forcing her to sit down. Taking the scissors from her and began snipping her brown tresses quickly. Knowing how long she liked it. It was quiet as her longer hair fell to the ground. He stood in front of her and with a few quick snips, her bangs laid in her lap and she could see without having to tuck her bangs behind her ear. Satoshi pinched her cheek.

"Haru-chan looks so cute~!" he commented, tossing the scissors to the side and pulling her to her feet. Haruhi rolled her eyes and sighed, looking at her palms.

"I have to go and cut Ritsu's hair," she moved to grab the scissors when Satoshi grabbed them and shook his head.

"I'll do it, you get Chika up," he was out of the room before Haruhi could object. She rose her eyebrow and cleaned up the hairs before walking over to the lump on the bed and shook it lightly. Sometimes Chika was as bad as Mitsukuni when he woke up, however she had already woken him up so it would be easier to wake him up the second round. He grumbled and sat up, looking up at Haruhi before rubbing his head.

"I'll go grab some food" she commented, knowing that he was always grumpy no matter when he was woken up, unless he had some food. She smiled and turned to leave. Chika grabbed her arm before getting up and pulling on his pants and his shirt.

"Let's go," he took her arm and stormed from the room. Haruhi just smirked, shaking her head as he tugged her down the stairs. As he pulled her past the couch, she removed her arm from him and tiptoed over to Takashi. Adjusting his blanket so it covered his body properly before creeping away. Chika gave her a look and she shrugged, the boy grabbed her again and tugged her into the kitchen.

The twins were looking in the cupboards, looking completely irritated with the food in there. One pulled out a can and then groaned. Haruhi found her bag and pulled out some of the food from in there and placed it on the counter. Chika leaned on the counter beside her as she opened the can and handed him it. Both the twins froze, staring at Haruhi with wide eyes. She found some spoons before starting to leave. Hikaru grabbed her arm and Chika turned towards him, eyes narrowing.

"What the hell is with you?" he growled, looking close to tears. Chika pulled Hikaru's hand from Haruhi and nudged her towards the living room. The girl stayed rooted, raising her eyebrow at Hikaru. Then tilted the food towards him. "Why'd you cut your hair like that?"

"It's manageable like this..." Haruhi trailed off, confusion clouded her face. His raised voice attracted attention to the room. Kyouya came in, slipping his glasses on and looking slightly irritated. "What difference does it make?" Hikaru glared at her his fists clenched tightly at his sides and his face reddening. Haruhi pulled the food can towards herself and slid her gaze towards Chika. "It's too late for me to do anything about it."

Haruhi could honestly not see why Hikaru was so angry, it was her hair. Did he think it was nice long? Hikaru rose his hand and moved to hit Haruhi, Chika grabbed his arm and glared at him, he opened his mouth to retort when Takashi entered the room. Hobbling and using the wall to support himself.

"Hikaru," he grumbled, "Don't hit Haruhi."

There was silence in the room. Kaoru stepped forwards, the blurring image he had of Haruhi in his head clearing. Tears burst from his eyes as his fingers caressed her cheek, wanting to make sure she was there. He moved closer before wrapping his arms around her and burying his head into her shoulder. Sobbing loudly. Hikaru's mouth opened and Chika released his arm, taking the can from Haruhi so she could properly hug her old friend. Hikaru immediately joined in, hugging her just as tight as his brother, apologizing in his own tears. Haruhi didn't cry.

Kyouya noted that, adjusting his glasses, in his notebook before placing it on the counter. She didn't cry. Would she ever cry? Takashi was given a can of food so he wouldn't have to struggle over to the cupboards and get his own. Kyouya stood beside him and rose an eyebrow. The twins didn't let him go. "I wonder how she'll react when Tamaki figures out?" he commented lightly.

"How'd you survive?" Kaoru enquired through his shaky breaths as he pulled away. Touching her face and hair and arms. Hikaru couldn't stop touching her either, arm around her shoulder and fiddling with her hair. Haruhi was given her food back and she ate silently, not replying. Takashi waved towards the living room.

"Chika, can you go get Mitsukuni and Tamaki?" he asked as Kyouya helped the older man back into the living room. Hikaru and Kaoru dragged Haruhi into the room and sat her down on the love seat, squishing on either side of her. Once upon a time, she would've demanded to sit somewhere else, but she knew they needed that physical time to know that their eyes weren't deceiving her.

Satoshi and Ritsu stormed down the stairs. Satoshi hid behind the couch and Ritsu glared at the boy. His hair on one side was nearly shaved off and the other side was cut to his ear. "You little twerp!"

Haruhi stood up, holding her hands up, "Ritsu, calm down," she sighed, giving Satoshi a look. "You should've expected him to do something like this."

"He said you told him too," Ritsu waved towards her, turning his irritation onto her. Haruhi let out a sigh and blew her bangs out of the way. She pointed at one of the chairs.

"Sit down."

"Not until I get that twerp back," Ritsu glared at Satoshi. Haruhi stepped forwards, glaring at him darkly.

"Sit down or I'll make you," she emphasized each word and jammed her finger towards the chair. "There are more important things than Satoshi's idiocy."

"Hey!" Satoshi retorted, crossing his arms, "I was just getting him back for writing on my arm that one time with permanent marker!"

Haruhi let out an irritated sigh. "Both of you sit down right now," she shouted. Satoshi immediately dropped to the floor, looking at it and Ritsu stumbled over to the chair and lowered himself down. She let out another sigh. "Idiots."

"Haru-chan," Mitsukuni spoke up, jumping over to her and clinging to her. "Thank you for taking care of Chika-chan!" he kissed her cheek, and hugged her tightly. Haruhi patted his head.

"Thanks for trying to kill me yesterday," she spoke and he tensed. Looking up at her with his big puppy like eyes and pouting. She gave him a smile before moving to sit down on the arm of the chair Ritsu occupied, when Mitsukuni pulled her onto the last unoccupied chair and jumped onto her lap. He smiled at her warmly. She blinked before smiling slightly.

Chika came downstairs and sat down on the arm of the couch, "The 'King' will be down in a minute."

"Tamaki, now," Takashi called upstairs, shifting back so he was looking up the stairs. It was silent before a door was thrown open and he hurried downstairs. At the bottom he flipped his golden hair and opened his mouth to say good morning to them all when he caught sight of the short haired brunette with Mitsukuni sitting in her lap.

"Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha," he stuttered on for a bit until Kyouya grumbled and shook his head.

"Haruhi," he grumbled crossing his arms and legs. Haruhi murmured something to Mitsukuni and he moved so she could stand up.

"Tamaki-senpai," she said before smiling slightly. An awkward feeling in her chest. The man stumbled over to her and stood before her. He touched her cheek, and her smile faded. His lips crashed against hers and she was pulled against his chest. It was silent, Haruhi could feel the desperation in his kiss. He pulled away staring at her before cupping her cheek and kissing her again.

"J'ai m'as tellement manqué, mon amour, je te croyais mort..." he whispered pulling away. Leaning his forehead against hers. Haruhi swallowed thickly, not understanding a lick of what he said. She stepped away, feeling a little awkward. Satoshi stood up.

"You shouldn't kiss her," he spoke bluntly, everyone glanced over at him. Kyouya smirked adjusting his glasses. What an interesting twist to events. He thought Haruhi would kiss Tamaki back. After all they went through to get the two together.

"Why wouldn't I kiss my girlfriend?" Tamaki asked, hugging Haruhi close to him again.

"She isn't your girlfriend," Ritsu added onto it, and Chika nodded.

"You never made it official before the war happened, and six years apart can make the heart wander," Chika filled in the rest of their thoughts. It was silent before Tamaki pulled away.

"Ah, of course, forgive me, mon amour," he bowed slightly and smiled at her, threading his fingers with hers. "Serez-vous ma petite amie?"

"There is more serious things to attend to besides your love life, Tamaki," someone spoke up. Haruhi thought it was Kyouya, but realized it had left Takashi's mouth. The man looked a little irritated. Tamaki looked crest fallen but didn't listen to Takashi.

"Answer me," Tamaki demanded looking back at her.

"Why would she be your girlfriend when you haven't remembered her birthday since Satoshi and Yasuchika left?" Takashi asked, glaring at Tamaki, "Sit down."

Haruhi looked at Takashi before sitting back down with Mitsukuni, who wrapped his arms around her neck again and smiled. Whispering, "We made Takashi our leader after the second year because none of us were good at it." The girl nodded, it was a little bit obvious. He was the only who seemed to actually be able to survive in the wilderness, maybe Mitsukuni, but he still liked to be doted on.

"What happened, Haruhi?" it was Hikaru who spoke this time. Looking at her intently. "How did you survive?"

"Where is Ranka?" Kaoru asked quietly, prodding lightly. Most of their parents died from the biological warfare, and wondered if Ranka had taken the same fate. Haruhi stiffened, she hadn't even told that to Ritsu when he asked, nor when the cousins asked later on. Although, they just asked about her parents.

"Start from the beginning," Takashi spoke just as gently as the others. Wanting to know everything. Haruhi lifted up her breakfast and ate for a while before lowering it.

-Six Years Ago-X

Haruhi smiled at the cousins and waved, they had come to visit her. She closed the door and looked at the ticket they had offered her. Her fingers traced them, they wanted her to come with them to a beach for vacation. They had seemed tense and wouldn't take no for an answer. With a shrug she placed them with her other items and went to study. Ranka came home soon and she realized it was late, really late. With a sigh she closed her books and heated up the food for her father.

They didn't even have time to turn the television before someone was banging on their door. Ranka jumped up and answered it. One of his co-workers was standing outside looking terrified. He told them to turn on the television, which Haruhi immediately did. The room was silent besides the recording.

"_Bomb threat warning for the Kanto, Hokkaido and Chubu prefectures. Warning: evacuation of main cities-"_

Before they even finished Ranka was in a state of panic. Demanding Haruhi gather her things. She did so without question, his co-worker urging them to hurry up. Haruhi looked at her cellphone but was distracted when Ranka grabbed her arm and pulled them from the apartment. He locked it. He wasn't going to risk his only daughter being in a major city with bomb threats.

-X

Haruhi was starting to believe that there was nothing wrong. However, she was completely wrong. The world broke into war. Not like the others. Countries released biological viruses and bacteria that wiped out half of the population, that came just before the nuclear missiles that wiped out large parts of the world. Reducing the number of people significantly.

That wasn't the first time Haruhi cried her heart out, and it wasn't the last. Her father held her as she sobbed for her dead friends, whom were very much alive and safe. They had left the city and were phoning and texting her constantly on the cellphone that was off in her room. When no one got replies back, they cried just as hard when the bombs hit. Figuring she was dead along with the other bodies.

Not long after the bombs stopped falling, eighty percent of the population was dead. Not that anyone knew the exact number of dead. Especially when people entered the cities to soon after the explosions. Mutating with the biological viruses and radiation, becoming the creatures that live in the cities.

Haruhi stayed with her father and his co-worker for a year before they attempted to venture into the city.

-Present Day—X

Haruhi stopped speaking, the lump in her throat stopping her from continuing the story. She stared at her hands instead, staying silent. Mitsukuni squeezed his arms around her lightly, giving her comfort. It was silent for the longest time, just the barest sound of breathing told her that people were waiting for her to say what happened. Her fingers clenched, nails digging into her bandaged palms, stinging.

"What happened when you entered the city?" Kyouya asked, the only one brave enough to break the tense silence. Haruhi's eyes flickered up slightly. Not meeting his eyes, but looking over him.

"The radiation only mutates those who were effected by the viruses that the countries sent out," she whispered quietly, trying to make them understand without out right saying it. She couldn't, wouldn't, say it. Even five years ago, it was still too soon for her. Kyouya was the one, once again breaking the silence.

"Who was infected?" he asked, more gently than his previous question. He wanted to confirm his suspicions instead of just jumping forwards and assuming. Haruhi's eyes met his this time, and they could see the tears threatening to spill.

"Both of them..." she choked out. Tears escaping her eyes. All of them wanted to comfort her, but Mitsukuni wiped the tears from her face like an older brother and hugged her tightly. Too many people trying to comfort her at once would overwhelm her and she would close up completely.

"Two..." Takashi trailed off, looking at Haruhi curiously. She nodded her head slightly, "You wouldn't kill them."

"I can't," Haruhi started to shake, knowing what he was talking about. "I've tried, but my finger just won't pull the fucking trigger and end it for them," her voice rose at this point. Her anger overriding her silence. "I can kill the dogs, and any other creature without blinking an eye. I would've killed you with just a slight hesitation."

Everyone tensed up at that, Mitsukuni was the one Haruhi noticed. Takashi quickly retold the story of the other day as Mitsukuni wiped Haruhi's over flowing tears. Her hands still clenched tightly together, refusing to acknowledge the tears. The tension eased once they realized that Haruhi was just being defensive, just like they would've been.

"Those two were them," Satoshi asked, looking at Haruhi. "The creatures can be killed but are very difficult to do so since their bodies are near death anyways and are fighting to stay alive..." Satoshi trailed off when he realized that he wasn't making Haruhi feel any better about the situation.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ritsu asked, looking at Haruhi with a mix between concern and anger. Haruhi didn't reply, just stared at her fists. He got up and headed outside, Chika following him to calm him down. Haruhi let out a shuddering breath. Slowly she unclenched her fist and rose her hand up to her eye and touched the slice on her forehead.

"I tried to kill them, but couldn't. Ritsu found me and tried to get the group his was with to help me, but they wouldn't. So he went to the syndicate and stitched it up himself..." she trailed off, "I should've told him that...but each day that went past I just couldn't. It's like thunder, each time I see them I just become afraid and can't stop myself from wanting to just run and forget."

"So, you've been in the syndicate with Ritsu for the past five years?" Hikaru asked, for once knowing that Haruhi didn't want to dwell on a subject. He could tell she was grateful for the subject change and she nodded her head. "How'd you find Chika and Satoshi? Takashi and Kyouya said that they couldn't find them after they were attacked by another group."

Haruhi's mouth went slack, staring at the twins on the couch before looking across from her at the to black haired men. Her mouth was dry, it took her a moment before she cleared her throat and spoke what she wanted to, "That was you?"

"What do you mean?" Kyouya asked, frowning. Haruhi shook her head, eyes closing as she cursed herself silently.

-Three Years Ago—X

Haruhi heard a shout and looked over at Ritsu. His eyes narrowed slightly and nodded towards the noise. Let's check it out. They crept forwards, sticking down low and peered into the dark park. She saw a boy laying on the ground, the moon glinting off liquid which Haruhi knew instantly as blood.

There were a few other men in the clearing and two woman. Haruhi and Ritsu stuck to the bushes near the group. Two men stood in front of the bleeding boy, and another boy was trying to stop the bleeding. The stayed silent, waiting to see if they could help out in anyway. Haruhi focused on the boy seeing if he was dying, but she heard the exchange of the group.

"Give us your supplies and we'll leave you alone," one of the men said loudly, too loudly. They'd attract creatures or dogs, if the blood didn't. There was dead silence besides the occasional painful grunt from the bleeding boy.

"After you stabbed our friend, I think not," one of the men replied, pushing his glasses up his face. They glinted menacingly with the moon light. "I think you should give us your medical supplies and we won't kill you."

"Either way they're dead," the other man growled, glaring at the other group, "Stabbing him when he wasn't even a threat."

"Everyone's a threat now a days, don't you see?" the man rose his voice again and waved around the area. "This is the post apocalypse, no rules, that means everyone can kill."

"Just kill them, this is a waste of our time," the man with glasses spoke up, waving towards his friend. Haruhi watched intently as the other group all pulled out their weapons and ran towards the two men. The one who spoke turned towards the two on the ground. "Get him out of here, we'll meet up with you guys later."

The lighter haired boy lifted the darker haired boy and took off, it looked awkward, the shorter boy carrying the taller boy. Haruhi waved towards them, help the younger one in mortal danger and then come back. Ritsu nodded and she followed after them.

They stopped them further down when the younger boy got tired from carrying his cousin. Haruhi stepped out, looking at them with concern. The boy pulled out a knife and glared at her. "Fuck off, you're with them aren't you."

"No," Haruhi spoke, pulling her guns from their holsters and slowly lowering them to the ground and pushing them away from her. "I've come to help you," she whispered quietly, and then waved at his friend, taking off her pack and pulling out some medical supplies. The lighter haired boy looked at her, not trusting her at all. "If you don't want me to do it, then here," she placed them on the ground, pushing them forwards slightly and backing up. "Use them."

"Why are you helping us?" the bleeding boy choked out. Faint from the loss of blood. Haruhi smiled slightly.

"To try to restore your faith in humanity. Just because we are working on survival instead of luxury, doesn't mean we can't still be kind to others," she added, before looking at him. "You're going to die if you don't get some medical attention."

The lighter boy lunged and grabbed the supplies. Quickly working on his cousin and stunting the bleeding. Haruhi watched as he worked, occasionally pointing out things he was doing wrong but otherwise staying quiet. Once he was bandaged healthy, Haruhi took the medical supplies back.

Then she heard a howl from further in the park. Her heart stopped slightly. "You two hide in the bushes," she spoke quickly shoving her things back into her bag and grabbing her guns. "You're friends may run through here, and if they do, go with them."

"I'm Chika," he spoke before she took off to find Ritsu. Haruhi stopped, turning to look at him, her mouth opening. It was purely a coincidence. "He's Satoshi," the two bowed slightly as Chika helped Satoshi to hide in the bushes. Haruhi swallowed thickly.

"Haruhi," she introduced before taking off as fast as she could. She crashed through the bushes, moving more quietly when she got closer to where Ritsu was waiting. She made a slight noise that sounded like a bird to let him know it was her before falling silent. She saw the two boys hand managed to injure or kill all the others. All that was left was a girl. "Their not going to kill her are they?" she breathed into Ritsu's ear watching in horror.

"P-Please! Don't, I didn't mean to!" she stammered, holding up her hands, "Okay, so I did...but I'm sorry!"

"You were the one who stabbed him," the man without the glasses growled darkly, "He could die because of you."

The girl tripped over one of her friends and slid backwards on the grass. Fear in her eyes. "I don't want to die!" she sobbed, backing up.

"A life for a life," glasses commented, "Isn't that what you said when he wouldn't give you any supplies even though one of your friends was dying? Which you have no proof of."

The girl looked at him with anger before she jumped to her feet and clasped her hands together. "I'll do anything you want, just please don't kill me!"

The other man lowered his hand, drawing Haruhi's attention to the bow. She was grateful that she couldn't see the man's face. She imagined it looked angry, and hoped it was. If he was void of emotion she would be quaking. "Run and don't come back."

The girl looked at him like he was crazy, but didn't question him. Turning and taking off towards the nearest exit. The man raised the bow, nocking an arrow and took aim. Haruhi wanted to stop him, but didn't. The arrow flew from the bow and sank deep into the girls back. She fell down just like the rest of her group. It was silent. Haruhi and Ritsu both held their breath for fear of what the two would do if they caught them.

"Let's go find those two," glasses spoke up, adjusting his bag and heading off. The archer following close behind him. Pulling out an arrow from one of the dead bodies as he went. Haruhi shivered.

-Present Day—X

"Whoa, that's brutal," Kaoru commented with a whistle, looking at the two black haired men. "Didn't know you would kill an entire group just for injuring Satoshi."

"The two of them didn't find Sato-chan or Chika-chan," Mitsukuni commented, looking at her, "What happened next?"

"Haruhi came back after a while and we were still there, she offered to help us find the other two, but then some dogs attacked us," Satoshi spoke up, thinking back, "She's been pretty bad ass with protecting us since. We went back to the syndicate after we searched for a while and then Ritsu deemed it too dangerous for us to continue. We went back to the park nightly but it was too dangerous with the dead bodies there so eventually we gave up going there to see if anyone would come," he gave a one armed shrug then looked at Takashi. "She's as good as a protector as you are. Though, she couldn't punch someone through a wall."

"You've done that?" Kyouya commented, raising an eyebrow.

"To be fair it was a weak wall," Mitsukuni chirped with a smile. Then gave Haruhi a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Haru-chan did good~!"

Haruhi was surprised by the kiss on the cheek but smiled and patted him on the head, hugging him back. "Thank you, but honestly I didn't do much physical protecting...I was more the logical part of them, if you can say that," she rubbed her neck after he let go and laughed lightly.

"Are you saying we're dumb?" Satoshi frowned, walked over, and crossed his arms. Haruhi shook her head.

"Just reckless," she spoke before leaning up and kissing his cheek. "I'm going to check on Ritsu," she murmured before moving past him and leaving the house. The boys inside were silent, Satoshi's cheeks tinted red slightly.

"This is an interesting development," Kyouya spoke up with a smirk, until it was completely wiped off his face and he stood up. "No one in this house will pursue a romantic relationship with Haruhi. This world is not fit for the consequences if that relationship becomes sexual."

No one objected to it out loud, but a few looked at him. Satoshi tucked his hands behind his head and sighed. "Not like I had a chance anyways," he commented staring at the roof, "She's smiled more in the last twelve hours then she has done in the last three years that I've been around her."

* * *

A/N: Ah! Sorry that I didn't post on Thursday, I would make an excuse but I just didn't log onto my laptop that day, and then yesterday I was busy. Now, however, I'm going to stick with Saturday's as my posting day because it's easier for me to write when I don't have to worry about school and homework straight away.

IMPORTANT: Life's Greatest Blessings and LOV3 is on hiatus until my current writers block goes away! I was just lucky enough that this weeks chapter of My Last Goodbye and Wasteland were complete, unless it goes away by next Saturday only Wasteland will be updated since I have up to chapter 9 completed for this story.

Please review to let me know if you like it so far~! I really appreciate feedback on my stories!


	5. Feigning Normalcy

"_If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?" _

― _Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club_

Haruhi stared at her self in the mirror, brushing her bangs from her face. A large scar across her eye. She lifted her shirt and saw multiple scars running across the surface. Her arms weren't any better, and she couldn't even compare any of them to her legs. Did she care? Not really. Would she have cared if she had these scars when she went to school, maybe. It could effect her future in the law business, but now? She didn't think farther than a week in advance. Would they have enough food for the next week? Should she make a run to get some food? Supplies?

With a sigh, she smoothed her shirt down and looked back at her face. Lifting her glasses up and shoving them on her face, "There goes the last of my contacts," she muttered running a hand through her hair. Truth be told, she didn't wear her contacts that much, only when she was feeling up to it. She was sure that they had gone bad long ago, but didn't care. She hadn't developed an eye infection or anything, so she honestly could care less.

She slid from the room and looked down the hall. Across from her small bedroom was Ritsu's. If she looked to the left all the way down the hall, she could see the door that led to Takashi's room, a door that she had only been in once and hadn't seen the insides of it again. Not that she cared. The washroom, that was between her and Kyouya's room, was seldom used. Across from Kyouya's was Tamaki's. The twins' beside Tamaki's room, and then Satoshi's room across from him. A separate hallway spilt off from the main and ran past Ritsu's room to where Mitsukuni and Chika's rooms lay.

The entire house was asleep still, except for Haruhi. She stretched and padded across the hard wood quietly. Her feet making only the barest of noise as he grasped the railing and started down the stairs. It was dark in the house, but the darkness was something she was completely used to. Her eyes adjusted to it easily. Even during the day it didn't get that bright, and from the various melted candles around the rooms she could tell that one especially dark days they lit candles to see. The candles were melted very lazily, their wax moulding them to their place.

The main floor of the house consisted of a sitting room, a large foyer that seemed to be used as storage, a large kitchen, a small area that looked like it had been used for laundry but was stocked up with boxes of medical supplies, and what looked like a once-office turned into a medical room. There was a downstairs, but she had yet gone down there, feeling actually terrified every time she moved to grab the handle. Something always stopped her from opening the door and heading down the stairs, her own fear of what was down there, or she was distracted by the others.

Haruhi slid from the house, staring at the fencing that had been put around the house. It was cold out. Like it always was. The chilly air nipped at her bare arms and she let out a soft sigh. She stared up at the sky, a clear night. The only reason she came out. Thousands of stars sprinkled the sky, making the normally black looking sky look like it was covered with pale glittered. It was rare to see the sky, there was always dreaded clouds lingering over the sky. Except when the day became exceptionally windy, blowing the clouds over the ocean.

The door opened, startling her silently, she turned around and couldn't see who it was clearly through the darkness. It was tall, but she couldn't differentiate between the two people who it could be. They walked towards her, and she stood her ground. "Why are you outside?" the voice asked blankly, betraying no emotion. Although she could tell the posture was slightly angry. She simply pointed to the sky, he looked up and was silent for the longest time. Haruhi smiled slightly.

"Thanks for remembering my birthday," Haruhi changed the subject, sticking her hands into her pockets and looked up at the sky. He looked down at her, her birthday was a week ago. Why was she thanking him now.

"Come inside," he spoke, stepping to the side and waving to the door. Haruhi shook her head slightly.

"Why?"

"It's warmer."

"Not by much," Haruhi sighed with a shrug. The man paused, not able to actually boss around her or Ritsu. They were too independent, and Ritsu only listened to Haruhi. Sometimes it was frustrating, but most of the time Haruhi did things without being told too. Like she got up early and prepared breakfast for everyone, however the noise, no matter how quiet she was, woke Takashi up. She helped wake up Mitsukuni. It was becoming almost domestic.

"My room was pretty warm," Takashi commented, "Is yours cold?"

"I can't tell if that's an invitation to go into your room," Haruhi joked with a smile, living with Satoshi for the past three year opened her mind to flirting. She could flirt as easily as Tamaki could, but just didn't. Takashi frowned slightly, his mouth falling open. "Calm down."

"Why are you out here?" he repeated, trying to get the conversation into safer waters.

"I told you, I'm admiring the great view," she sighed, shaking her head. "Why do you care?"

"It's dark out, you shouldn't be outside," he informed as if she didn't noticed the amount of light.

"Well, Mori-senpai-"

"Takashi or Mori," he sighed, looking a bit irritated. Haruhi paused, pursing her lips together and nodded. They were out of school and friends, she didn't have to use 'senpai' when addressing him.

"Well, Mori, it's dark inside as well...no matter where I go at this time it's going to be dark," she shrugged a shoulder. Giving him a look. Takashi gritted his teeth together, goosebumps covered his arms and he was getting irritated with her now. Part of him remembered back when he was still in school, he would've stayed outside with her for hours if she didn't want to go inside. He wouldn't have forced her to do something she didn't want to.

"That is why we sleep," he stressed, stepping forwards and placing a hand on her shoulder, waving towards the house. Haruhi shook her head, fully prepared to dig her heels in and stay outside. It was too stuffy inside and too beautiful and free outside. She wanted to enjoy the freedom it gave her, everywhere else forced her to be secluded to keep safe.

"Didn't you hear me? I can't go to sleep easily, and I don't get a lot of sleep when I do," she grumbled, becoming irritated with him for forgetting that. Although, that probably wasn't his fault. He had been woken by her, but wasn't he usually like Satoshi when he was tired? Haruhi was thinking about that when she was hoisted into the air and dumped on his shoulder like a sack of flour. She halfheartedly punched him in the back, even if she had put all her force into it he wouldn't have been hurt.

She was silent as he walked up the stairs, not wanting to wake the others. She was silent as he walked down the hall, opened a door and dropped her on the bed. She heard the door locking and looked up. He walked over, lifting the covers and climbing under, taking off his glasses and burring his face into the pillow. A frown flitted on her face and she got up, walking over to the door and tried to open it. To find that you would need a key. Her eyes turned towards him, narrowing.

"I'll call the others," she warned walking over, bending down beside the bed."I thought you guys weren't suppose to pursue a relationship with me? What would they think if you were in a room with me? Without your shirt?"

Takashi cracked his eyes open, staring at her blurry figure. "How did you figure that out?"

"Tamaki wailing about how it wasn't fair that he couldn't try to date me even though we were 'meant to be' and Kyouya was the evil stepmother who was trying to keep the girl for himself," Haruhi spoke, crossing her arms and resting her chin on them. "Besides," she rolled her eyes, "I'm not stupid enough to try to pursue a relationship now anyways."

He pushed aside the sheets and patted the bed, "Then go to sleep."

Haruhi gave him a look before quirking her eyebrow and climbing into the bed beside him. Taking her glasses off and placing them to the side. Resting her head on the pillow. "How'd you get the biggest bedroom?" she asked quietly, turning towards him, he remained still with his eyes closed.

"I'm the biggest person here."

Haruhi laughed quietly, shaking her head. She remained silent, staring at his sleep-like face. Knowing fully well he wasn't asleep yet, and also knowing that he knew she was looking at him. He hadn't aged at all from the last time he saw him, making it so she was able to easily identify him when she saw him a week ago. His eyes peeled open, revealing the silver orbs beneath.

"Close your eyes," he muttered, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Why?" she questioned, tucking a hand under the pillow.

"Try to sleep," he murmured almost like a purr, surprising Haruhi. She frowned slightly. He was uncomfortable with her staring at him while he was sleeping, or rather he couldn't sleep with someone's eyes on him. Why didn't he just say so instead of feigning his concern for her not sleeping.

"Why?"

"I want to sleep," Takashi replied, closing his eyes again. Haruhi shifted onto her back, closing her eyes as well. The sun started to rise and she didn't get a wink of sleep. Especially when the man beside her shifted occasionally, moving closer to her until his forehead was against the side of her head and his arm was around her, fingers touching her shoulder. And his other hand resting against her stomach. She pretended to be asleep, evening out her breathing and trying to relax. Which wasn't very easy when his breath was tickling her neck and his fingers would twitch startling her.

She heard the others getting up, a groan from the twins room, she didn't think too deeply into that, a loud yawn from Satoshi. Takashi stirred slightly, pulling around closer to him, nuzzling her cheek lightly in his state of sleepy stupor. Tamaki and Satoshi exchanged good mornings in the hallway quietly, their voices fading down the hallway. It was silent as they headed down to the main floor. Haruhi remembered she should've already been making breakfast.

The sound of someone heading back up the stairs was followed by a door opening. Then a shout. Takashi shot up, dragging Haruhi with him. She quickly pulled out of his grasp, shoving him with enough force that she got tangled in the sheets and before she could right herself she fell onto the ground. Takashi ignored her for the time being, grabbing his glasses and pulling on his shirt, having worn his jeans to bed and pulled a key from them. He unlocked the door and looked out.

"Takashi, Haruhi's gone!" Satoshi shouted, waking nearly everyone in the house up, save Kyouya and Mitsukuni. Haruhi shoved the blankets roughly away from her and stood up. Walking silently up behind the stoic man and peering around him.

"We were discussing going into town sometime," Haruhi spoke, looking apologetic. Takashi didn't say anything, not one to lie to people he cared about. She patted Takashi's arm, "We'll talk later then. Sorry guys, I'll make breakfast now," she said with a smile, easily brushing past the stoic man and heading down the stairs. Satoshi followed her around as she prepared breakfast like a puppy. She put the heated food down, thankful that they had a gas stove in the house. The canned food tasted much better when it was cooked properly.

"Today is a good day," Satoshi said with a smile, "It's brighter than normal, and there is blue instead of the endless grey."

"Although we're still stuck in this house eating..." Hikaru poked the food with his food, "canned meals."

"'Thank you, Haruhi, for making us food every morning with barely any thanks!' Oh, no problem, Hikaru," Haruhi grumbled shutting a cupboard with more force than normal. She felt arms wrap around her waist and two cheeks rubbed against hers.

"Thank you," both of the twins purred into her ear. "We'll thank you properly if-"

"Can you not," Kyouya asked walking into the room, "Where's my breakfast?"

"On the table with everyone elses," Haruhi called sliding from the twins grasp. She left the living room, heading into the living room. Mitsukuni headed down the stairs, jumping down the last few and wrapping his arms around Haruhi and hugged her tightly for a while before skipping off to the kitchen without another word. Haruhi smiled slightly before heading upstairs. Chika and Tamaki were still upstairs getting ready. Takashi was in the washroom, brushing his teeth absentmindedly. Haruhi walked past him and headed into her room. Pulling on a sweater and peering out the window.

Suddenly there was an excited shout from downstairs. She left the room and peered down. "Electricity's on!"

Haruhi's eyes widened slightly, how? The group crowded into the living room looking happier than she had seen them in the longest time. Takashi left the bathroom and leaned on the banister smiling down. "Solar panels," he murmured to her as Chika passed them and hurried downstairs. Haruhi smiled at that, it was smart. They were probably installed before the apocalypse.

"Haru-chan! What movie do you want to watch?" Mitsukuni called up, looking at some VHS and DVDs. Haruhi smiled slightly, shrugging a shoulder.

"You choose," she looked up at Takashi with a smile. He shrugged a shoulder, before murmuring 'Nemo'. Haruhi shrugged her shoulders, "You guys got Finding Nemo? I haven't seen that since I was a kid, I use to love that movie."

She followed Takashi downstairs as Mitsukuni popped it in. She sat down on the couch, Takashi taking a place on the ground and Mitsukuni curled up beside her. Resting his head on her lap. Everyone situated themselves around the television, not wanting to waste the precious energy that was being given to them. Haruhi felt normalcy surrounding them as the movie started.

However, Haruhi always forgot that she teared up during the opening scene. She wiped one tear from her face, but another one fell, hitting Mitsukuni on the head. He looked up, curious and brushed her tears away with a sad smile.

There were a few times when the movie would cut out with the electricity but they were able to get through the almost two hour movie. At the end of it, the entire group was silent. Haruhi could see the tears threatening to spill out of a couple of the boys' eyes. She suddenly felt bad for choosing this movie. Marlin goes to almost the ends of the Earth to get Nemo back, and helps him escaping from the impending doom.

None of their parents could go to the end of the Earth to get their children back, they could no longer help them escape the disaster humankind had made Earth.

The television cut off at that moment. Distracting them from their semi consciousness. Mitsukuni sat up, stretching. Haruhi stayed seated, as the others dispersed around the house. Chika and Satoshi headed upstairs, followed by Tamaki. The twins headed into the kitchen. Leaving Ritsu, Mitsukuni, Kyouya, Takashi and Haruhi in the living room. Mitsukuni got up and headed upstairs to be with his brother within a few minutes. Ritsu felt awkward with the group and left to go into his room.

Haruhi stood up, "I'm going to take a walk."

Takashi went to volunteer to go with her, but Kyouya stood up. "I'll join you, we don't benefit from you being caught in another trap," he teased lightly. Haruhi gave him a look and rolled her eyes with a slight smile and nodded. Heading towards the door and pulling on her shoes not waiting for him. Kyouya turned towards the older man, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"We'll talk about this morning when I get back," he whispered before turning on his heel and hurrying after the girl. Takashi stared after him before standing and heading upstairs.

-X

"You do realize you are heading towards the city?" Kyouya questioned after a few minutes of walking in silence. Haruhi nodded her head, eyes locked on the ground. The sky had cleared once again allowing light to stream between the leaves. She had seen two traps and Kyouya and pulled her away from another. "Are you planning on running away?"

Haruhi stopped, turning towards him. "I wouldn't abandon them," she retorted, crossing her arms. Angry at his implication. "I need to feel useful," she turned and began walking again, "if I know the way to the city then I can go there without one of your guys' help."

Kyouya fell silent, not questioning her again. They walked on, avoiding rocks and roots. He stopped after a point and watched her pick her way over a couple fallen trees, "You weren't talking to him about going into town."

"Pardon?" Haruhi asked, pausing, her hand resting on the bark of a tree, her leg halfway over. She sat down on the tree and watched him pick his way over before sitting down in front of her.

"This morning," Kyouya crossed his arms and leaned forwards slightly, "Did you forget the incident at the beach?"

Haruhi stared at him in disbelief and rubbed her face in exasperation, "Are you saying that Mori would try to take advantage of me like you tried to?" she asked, eyebrows raising slightly. Kyouya let out a quiet sigh, reaching up and taking off her glasses and playing with them. She questioned his actions, but stayed silent.

"You do know nearly every man in that house loves you?" he asked eyeing her. Haruhi reached out and took her glasses back. Shoving them back onto her face and shaking her head. "Have you already forgotten that you are a girl?"

Haruhi's jaw tightened and she swung one of her legs over the branch. "I realize I'm a girl, but that has nothing to do with the situation. You're just being sexiest and also, those are my friends. I trust them enough not to do anything to try to take advantage of me."

"They are men with hormones-"

He was cut off when he felt cold metal pressing into his temple. A click as Haruhi loaded a bullet into the barrel made him stay silent. The forest seemed to absorb all noise, but the silence was screaming loud. Kyouya's heart was thumping loudly in his chest, true fear through his body. He didn't know Haruhi as well as he once did, six years could change someone. She could easily shoot him if she wanted to.

"I'm a girl with a gun," Haruhi whispered, lowering the gun, "If someone has a gun, regardless of their gender, they are instantly the most dangerous person in a room."

Kyouya was silent as Haruhi tucked the gun back into the holster. His heart was still racing wildly but he played it off. "You wouldn't use that."

"If my life was threatened, I would," Haruhi whispered, grabbing his shoulder and turning him towards her, "I'm not who you use to know."

"Do you even know who you are?" Kyouya retorted, staring down at her. "I think you lost who you were and found someone else and decided that person was you," he said coolly, "We have all held onto a part of who we were because-"

"You are deluding yourselves into thinking that we could ever go back to normal," Haruhi hissed, angry that he was implying she didn't know who she was, and that she was pretending to be someone she's not. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Have you seen the state of the city? Have you seen those...those..._things? _There is nothing normal about our situation, Kyouya."

"Trying to get a sense of normalcy back into our lives stops us from losing ourselves and becoming insane and violent," Kyouya adjusted his glasses with a frown, "Also, you've been with us for a week and have seen that our lives are as close as they could be to before."

Haruhi felt anger rising in her chest and she shook her head. Trying to keep calm. Her fists clenched and she took a few deep breathes. "You guys are going to get yourselves killed with your delusions. We can never return back now."

"Can't we try?"

Haruhi pressed her lips together tightly, she thought that _he_ of all people would think logically. Why would they try to return to how they use to be when they couldn't? It was impossible. Tamaki couldn't play the piano or woo woman any longer. Kyouya couldn't hold money above peoples heads and manipulate people into doing things for the benefit of himself and others. The Twins' world has stopped expanding and snapped back around the old host members, they acted more like they had when Haruhi had first met them. Mitsukuni couldn't indulge himself in sugar and enjoy cute things, something he had tried to separate himself from but it made him unhappy.

Haruhi didn't have the same drive as before, where she was putting all her efforts into becoming a lawyer in the footsteps of her mother. She had stayed alive solely to keep her friends alive, but now? She didn't have the same drive. It was at a point where she was questioning what her purpose was.

The only people who seemed to not have been that effected by the apocalypse were Chika and Takashi. Chika still showed the rude disinterest in everything, and everyone. At times he was just as protective as Takashi, but otherwise he acted like normal. Of course, it stilled effected how he thought. Takashi on the other hand, was still a protector and would forever be a protector.

However, he still changed. They all did. Haruhi wondered how much did change and how much was the mask of their former selves lying to her. There was so much she missed and didn't know. If they were all wearing masks of their former selves, then where they really her friends anymore? They grew up, and apart.

Kyouya watched Haruhi as she thought deeply, curious as to see the outcome of her thoughts. Her lips pursed tightly before she blew her bangs lightly. Without saying anything, she climbed back over the fallen trees and started heading back. Kyouya followed along quietly. "We do need to go back to the city."

"What for?" he asked, surprised that she had suddenly changed topic. "We have everything we need."

"I _need _to go back," Haruhi stressed, completely avoiding looking at him. Although, with a sideways glance he could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Why?" he questioned, still miffed that he was unable to read her as he used to.

"I need to move on and figure out who I am now," she gestured to herself, still not looking at him. They reached the fence around the house and Kyouya caught her wrist. Staring at her.

"I'll go with you then," he promised, moving his hand to her fingers and squeezing gently with a smile. "Friends help friends."

Haruhi laughed, a carefree sound, "Since when do you do things for other people?"

"Money is paper," he commented opening the gate and letting her entire the backyard of the pension, "If I don't do something for someone else, how am I suppose to get the advantage?"

* * *

A/N: Hey! Happy Birthday to Takashi!

That was the only reason I waited until today to upload this. Just so I could say that. :D

Also, I hope to be getting back into the swing of things soon, I will put all my effort into writing the chapters to my other stories and will hopefully have results by this Saturday. Though, I would like to warn you in advance, for the weekend up the 17-21st I won't be uploading because there is a con I am going to. I will either upload before or after, or maybe during if I have time.


	6. Tense Moments

"_The marks humans leave are too often scars." _

― _John Green, The Fault in Our Stars_

Kaoru sat with his brother, watching their first best friend preparing to leave to go back to the city. Kyouya preparing to join her. Takashi looked like he wanted to go with them, but restrained himself. He was needed there, right? Mitsukuni was rocking on his heels, wanting to give his input on the situation but keep silent. The two younger cousins were bickering with Ritsu and Haruhi wanting to go with her. It was almost as if their mother was leaving.

It hit Kaoru. She was their mother-figure. The only woman who had taken care of them for six years. Who probably fed them, healed them, scolded them, gave them hugs when they were feeling down, cut their hair, broke up fights, cleaned up. Did everything for them because she loved them in the same way. They were like her children in a way. She would do everything to protect them.

He stood up, fists clutched. "Why are you leaving?" his voice was louder than he had meant it. Ceasing all conversation in the room, the room froze as if someone pushed pause. Haruhi rose her eyes from her bag and her chocolate eyes locked with his caramel ones. His mouth became dry when he saw the emotion in her eyes. He swallowed thickly and managed to choke out, "You just got here!"

"If it wasn't for Mori coming, I wouldn't be here," Haruhi murmured looking back down at her bag and continuing making sure she had enough supplies in case something happened. "I never intended to leave the city until I had killed him."

"Then why come?" Hikaru asked, venom in his voice. "This is like dangling a treat in front of a dog and then taking it away."

It was silent, Haruhi didn't pause but as she zippered the bag it almost had a deadly finality to it. Her eyes rose up to Hikaru, an almost bitter anger in them. "Maybe I shouldn't have then."

"Haruhi," Satoshi spoke up, sounding distressed, "They're just worried about you. Don't say that."

"_That's not it, Haru-chan. Apologize to everyone, lots and lots to Tama-chan too. Apologize for making us worry."_

She stilled and looked at him curiously, then lifted the bag onto her shoulders and tested the weight. However her mind was remembering that day at the beach. They had gotten irritated with her lack of ability to differentiate between genders, and were worried when she was thrown off the cliff into the freezing waters.

"I'm not weak, I've never been weak," she spoke quietly looking at the twins, "I need to do this for my father, and myself. I-"

"Isn't that selfish?" Hikaru asked, standing up beside his brother, his red hair falling in front of his eyes. "We just got you back and now you're running off into harms way!"

Haruhi was silent, staring at Hikaru. She honestly didn't know how to respond to him. Her eyes flickered over to Ritsu, he nodded. She needed to do this. It weighed heavily on her shoulders, and he knew it would drive her into madness. Her eyes flickered to Takashi, but he avoided her look, instead having a silent conversation with Mitsukuni. A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned to see Tamaki.

"I'm not letting you go," he spoke, crossing his arms. Haruhi stared at him blankly, stepping to the side, he followed her. He mirrored her motion, not allowing her to get past him. She quick-stepped one way and then twisted around him. Tamaki grabbed her and lifted her up. She let out a noise and dug her elbow painfully into his shoulder, causing him to drop her. She scrambled to her feet, leaning against the back of a chair, looking like she was about to slug him. He touched his shoulder before looking at her, eyes narrowing slightly. It became tense in a second. He grasped her shoulders and pressed his lips to hers forcefully.

She brought her head back and slammed it forwards, their foreheads collided together with a painful crack. Tamaki looked stunned and she bit on his shoulder, making him jump away. Her body moved on it's own as she slammed her foot into his crotch. Satoshi jumped forwards, grabbing Haruhi and pulling her away from Tamaki and hugging her tightly. "Shh," he murmured into her ear, ignoring the punches she was giving him.

"Don't force yourself on someone," Ritsu growled, stepping on Tamaki's chest and pushing him into the ground with a dark look. "Especially Haruhi."

Most of the men in the room had no idea what was happening, but a few had an idea forming. Kyouya moved forwards to where Satoshi was holding Haruhi tightly. "Let's go, we're wasting precious light."

The Morinozuka boy slowly released the commoner, looking down at her. She didn't look any different from her angry state, but the moisture that clung to her lashes betrayed her. However, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the house. The door slamming with such a force that they heard a crash of something falling upstairs. Kyouya turned towards Takashi.

"We'll be back by tomorrow if we're lucky. If we get stuck for any reason we'll leave a note in the store where you met Haruhi if we are unable to get to the syndicate, telling you of our location. Regardless, go to the store first, just in case. We'll leave a note where Haruhi and you bumped into each other. That will be only if we don't return back within four days," Kyouya spoke, ignoring the others cries of protest. "You know what it means if there is no note."

Takashi's jaw tightened and he looked at the others before turning and opening the door. Haruhi was waiting by the edge of the trees, staring in. The others moved to follow him but he looked at them, "Give me a minute." The door closed, and they hurried to windows to peer out. Using curtains to hide their watching eyes. Takashi walked over to Haruhi, Kyouya stood at the door not caring about what was happening out there.

The man stood in front of her, his grey eyes boring down onto hers with such an intensity that it actually shocked her, but she stayed silent. His mouth opened but no words came out. "What happened?" Haruhi was dumbfounded. What did he mean by that? "You wouldn't have reacted that way from a simple kiss. I kissed you and this is the third time Tamaki's kissed you, why did you react violently this time?"

She swallowed thickly and looked down at her feet, shuffling them slightly. "Nothing."

"You can't lie to me."

Haruhi's eyes flickered up to his, but her chin was still tucked to her chest. "Not now..." she trailed off, reaching up and rubbing her neck awkwardly. "If you must know, talk to Ritsu and your brother." He stiffened and his eyes slid to the house. Fists clenching. Haruhi quickly touched his shoulder. "They didn't do anything," she soothed, her hand sliding down from his shoulder to touch his forearm and gave a gentle squeeze before letting go.

They were silent for a longer time. Kyouya would be getting impatient. He leaned down slightly. "*O daiji ni," he spoke quietly, giving her a warm smile. "Come back as soon as possible. You've been gone for too long."

Haruhi stared at him before smiling and nodding. It was her natural smile, one that he hadn't seen since he had left her apartment six years ago. After he offered her the tickets. He wondered what would've happened if had offered those tickets before and they had been gone when the war had started. Of course, that's not something he could dwell on.

He lifted his hand of his own accord and touched the corner of her lips. The motion ceased her smile, causing him to frown. They were silent for a while before Haruhi tilted her head slightly, and pressed her lips against his finger tips. They were still. Haruhi felt regret starting to build up in her stomach.

'_No! You can't be in a relationship! It's stupid! You might be going to your death! Spare him the grief!'_

_'It doesn't matter! If he cares for me in this way then even if I return those feelings he'll be hurt! It's too late.'_

His fingers moved to the back of her head, burying them in her dark tresses. He bent down and pressed his lips to her forehead. Pulling her closer. It was silent, with his lips on her forehead. When he pulled away, Haruhi stared up at him. He avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she responded, swallowing the lump in her throat away. "I should probably be going now."

He nodded and took a step towards the house before she heard him mutter something and turned towards her. His hand touching her cheek and lowering his mouth to hers. It was a light brush of lips, not forceful, and not unwanted. He didn't look at her reaction before he turned and heading back into the house.

-X

The two bespectacled companions were silent as they jogged through the forest, wanting to reach the syndicate to go over their plan. Haruhi stumbled and caught herself on a tree. Kyouya slowed down to watch her as she picked herself back up, looking a bit deep in thought. He followed after her as they continued on. Kyouya had heard Tamaki shouting in French and the twin joining in but Takashi had opened the door more roughly than necessary and said that they were leaving, all but shoving Kyouya out the door. He hated being left out in the dark, but had a glimmer of what had happened.

However, he didn't push it and continued on at a slower pace than he would if he had been going into the city with Takashi or even Mitsukuni. She was obviously conserving her energy as they picked their way to the edge of the town. He wondered how she and the others managed to get Takashi all the way to where they had when the larger man was unable to walk. They paused about ten minutes outside the town to rest and drink some water. Haruhi would take over as the guide from thereon in.

He lowered himself to the ground and saw a darker portion of the soil. He reached over and brushed it. A leaf flipped over and he saw red on the green texture. His hand retracted immediately as if bitten by a snack. Haruhi lowered her water bottle, staring at the bloodied soil. "That's where we stitched his leg," she commented, just then realizing that they had almost retraced the steps exactly. "It's like going backwards..."

An exhausted look crossed over her face but she put the bottle away and stood up again. "Let's go."

It was too weird for him to sit that close to the dried blood of the man who he had become quite good friends with since the ending of the apocalypse. He agreed readily and followed her. The streets were silent. A patch of dried blood and torn bones laid just off the centre of the street. What was left of the dead dog. They moved with purpose and stuck to the side. The only threat the creatures. However, the area was seemingly void of them. Kyouya was always curious about why there were no bodies just littering the street.

There was a far of shout and they both froze in mid-step, Kyouya stumbled slightly. The girl grabbed his arm and tugged him in the opposite direction. Her eyes showing a bit of fear. He pushed her ahead of him and they took off running as quietly as possible around the corner. Neither stopped until Haruhi grabbed his sleeve and pointed to the wall they were beside. A portion of the roof was removed, allowing someone to grab it. Kyouya was easily able to lift himself up and then pulled Haruhi up after him. They both jumped down and were silent. Haruhi took one of her guns from the holster. Kyouya followed suit, lifting his dark gun.

Haruhi walked up to the entrance and opened the door. They went through the entire compound, before meeting back up in the sitting room. She let out a breath. "Good, no one squatted here."

She sat down on one of the couches and some dust fluttered into the air. Kyouya gave her a look before choosing to lean on the back of the other couch instead. "Do these things have any patterns or habits?"

Haruhi pulled her legs up onto the couch and thought for a while. "He tends to go between my old apartment and the bar, but sometimes he'll wander else where."

"Can they open doors?" he asked, wanting to know everything about the creatures as he possibly could. The only time he saw one, he and Takashi had run the other way. Dragging Tamaki between them. She shook her head.

"They aren't that intelligent. Though, if they know you are in a room or an area they will knock the door down to get to you. They can make traps as well, if there are two or more they could corner you. Their pretty hard to kill since their mutation heals them fairly quickly," Haruhi explained, not wanting to waste time answering his questions.

"So, they are like zombies?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Never would he have ever thought that he would be actually be in the zombie apocalypse. The look on the girls face made him rethink his question.

"They're nothing like zombies. They are able to feel and talk. They just don't have memories and they brutally murder anything. Even each other if there isn't something more interesting to kill usually," she shook her head, looking disgusted and touching her eye. "He spoke to his friend, and I thought he could remember me. A foolish thought..." she trailed off, tears bubbling in her eyes. Kyouya moved and sat beside her. Awkwardly patting her shoulder.

The heels of her palms dug roughly into her eyes, trying to clear her eyes from the threatening tears. He placed his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her lightly. "You aren't alone in this, Haruhi."

"I know," she whispered quietly, lowering her hands uselessly in her lap.

"I offered to come because I know Takashi wouldn't have, even if he wanted to," Kyouya murmured quietly, "He had to kill his father."

Haruhi's head whipped towards Kyouya, her head smashing against his nose. He shouted in pain and jumped away from her slightly, rubbing his nose. She messaged the side of her head with her hand and stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"The situation wasn't exactly like yours, in fact it was nothing like yours..." he trailed off, looking a bit awkward. "You should probably talk to him about it."

"No. Tell me," she demanded tugging at his arm, looking thoroughly concerned, and alarmed. He shouldn't have mentioned anything. He adjusted his glasses a few times before clearing his throat.

"It was just a few months after...and Takashi, Hikaru, myself and Morinozuka-san were scoping out the area near the city, not getting too close. To see if anyone had survived and made it out..." Kyouya didn't want to tell her, but the concerned look on her face was just too much for him to bare. He knew that she would be thinking about it, wondering and creating an assumption. Distracting her. "There was a large area that was cleared on the Northern edge of town, the area where the graveyard had been created after the countries used biological warfare to wipe the Earth near clean of humans. Takashi and his father told us to stay behind and went searching around that area to see if they could find any survivors mourning their lost ones.

"Morinozuka-san was attacked by something. If he had survived he would've been missing an arm and one eye. We heard the noise and came running, we arrived before Takashi. The creature was already gone. Morinozuka-san was in a lot of pain, Haruhi, you could tell it. Not from the amount of blood he was losing, but from the fact that he couldn't protect his family with his lost arm and lost eye. He told Takashi to kill him..." Kyouya trailed off, wanting her to fill in the blanks. Her hand was covering her mouth, not looking at him. When he stopped she looked at him. Waiting for him to finish the story. The man took a deep breath.

"Takashi denied his father's wishes, saying that they would heal him. Of course, Morinozuka-san reasoned that he was a burden. For the first time ever, not one, but two Morinozuka men were showing more emotion than ever. It would've been terrifying if the actual situation wasn't so gut-wrenching depressing. I have never heard Takashi raise his voice that loud before. His father said the only thing that made Takashi crumble. His father played the wife card," Kyouya fell silent. Haruhi knew what happened. Morinozuka Akira said that Takashi's mother was dead, and he wanted to be with her again. Wanted to hold the woman even if his physical body was unable. Takashi wouldn't have done it if his father wasn't in so much pain and was slowly bleeding out.

Haruhi was incredibly silent. Takashi loved his family. He loved them so much. Haruhi knew his sense of duty to his cousin was out of love as well. His duty to his family was just as strong. For him to kill his father would've been like ripping out his own heart and stabbing it. It was a betrayal to his father, even though the man asked for his own death. She was suddenly glad that Takashi didn't go with her.

"Let's go to my old apartment, we'll be able to iron out a plan there," Haruhi managed to whisper out, standing up and grabbing her bag. Kyouya nodded and followed after her.

-X

Haruhi's apartment had been on the side of town furthest away from the nuclear bomb, and wasn't effected. The bombs had been small and dropped 'strategically' even though many had been dropped into the ocean as the diseases and viruses that had been spread killed many of the operators and military people as well. Plants were overgrown, curling up the fence around the compound and up the railings. There were some steps on the stairs that had fallen down and a door was broken down.

The two of them stood far enough away from the apartment before hurrying across when the coast was clear. They quietly climbed the stairs, being as gentle as possible. They hurried over to her apartment and she quickly twisted the handle. It stuck, Kyouya grasped the handle and twisted it forcefully. Breaking the already weak lock with a snap. They quickly entered the house and shut the door. Hunkering down against it and waited. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen Minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. An hour.

Kyouya looked out the window and saw nothing so after adjusting the blinds so they were closed, they entered the tatami mat room and Kyouya sat down around the table. She went to find her pencil, knowing that they'd have to be quiet or risk being found by the creatures. Her study material was strewn out on the table, but her pencil must fallen. She wasn't going to tear apart the living room to find it.

Her hand hovered over a clump of papers that must fallen during the explosion. She brushed them aside and saw the red cellphone laying there. A ticket resting beside it. Long past the date. She lifted both, grabbed the pencil laying near there, and headed back to the main room. Tucking the cellphone into her bag for later and handing Kyouya the pencil. She held onto the ticket, a thousand what ifs ran through her head before that too was put into her bag.

They dove head first into planning, even though they both knew it wasn't going to go by plan. Neither liked not planning. The pencil scratched and danced over the paper. Creating shapes that were slightly sloppy but quickly turned into their elegance. Like stepping into an old routine. There faces contorted with confusion, disagreement and irritation as plans were dashed, ideas were shot down and the paper was torn in the furry to erase an idea.

Haruhi wanted to shout at Kyouya as he scribbled out her plan, her mouth opened but in the silence they heard shuffling on the street. Both went incredibly still. Hearts beating fast in their chests. Haruhi shifted to her feet and half crawled over to the counter, lifting herself up slightly and parting the curtains ever so slightly.

On the street were two grotesque looking men. One was wearing a dress, and could easily been confused with a woman. The once red perfect hair was spilling over the mans shoulders, matted with blood. There were scars that looked black and parts of his body that Haruhi couldn't recognize as anything human. Fear paralysed her. That was her father.

Kyouya didn't touch her, knowing that she may freak out and draw attention to them. Instead he stayed still until she sank to her knees and covered her mouth. Stiffing the noise of her panic attack. He moved over then and pulled her against his chest, rubbing her back. Wanting to give her instructions to calm down, but if they were found...

"Ha...ruu..." a voice groaned out, Haruhi's fingers clutched Kyouya's shirt tightly. Her nails biting through the fabric and scratching him. They were silent as the shuffling sounded below them. _Oh my god. He knows we're here._

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod_

They were still, neither breathing. Kyouya covered his mouth with one hand and kept Haruhi against his chest with the other. The shuffling faded, and Kyouya removed Haruhi from him to peer outside. The two...things...were moving away from the house. He carefully exhaled, no matter how much his lungs were screaming for air.

He kept silence, bending down and taking Haruhi back into his arms. Her hand covering her mouth as she sobbed. Sobbed out of fear and sadness for her father. Kyouya stroked her short hair, incredibly distressed to see the girl crying. She never cried. Yet, he had seen her cry more than he had ever wanted. He didn't want any tears of sadness to ever spill from her eyes. He tucked her head under his chin and leaned against the wall.

Eventually her tears dried up, but she didn't move. Clinging to his shirt like it was her lifeline. Kyouya didn't delude himself like he knew the twins or Tamaki would've. She was relying on him purely because he was there, she didn't have any extra feelings for him. For that? He was glad. He didn't want to seek any sort of relationship with her besides being her friend. She was too important.

It seemed like a life time before she pulled away, her fingers uncurling from his shirt and she leaned away. Wiping her eyes and mouthing an apology for his shirt. Kyouya ignored the apology and gave her arm a gentle, comforting squeeze. Now that she had cried and gotten that out of her system, they both knew she could steel her nerves later when faced with the actual task of killing her father.

* * *

A/N: Just wanted to show that Kyouya is not seeking any form of lover position with Haruhi, but is looking to be a brotherly or friendly figure in her life. It shows his character development from his character in the canon and what happened since then. Also, Kyouya and Takashi spend a lot of time planning out things and are the ones who usually go into town so they became quite good friends. Tamaki isn't a bad guy, also, he just doesn't want Haruhi to go and is trying to show her that he loves her to convince her to stay. Which doesn't work for a reason that will be explained later~!

ON A SIDE NOTE: This writers block is still going, unfortunately. If you read my other stories, can you please send me some sort of inspiration? I'm a little stuck at the moment especially for LOV3.

Translation:

O daiji ni: Take care of yourself.


	7. Extermination

Warning: There is _**graphic violence**_ below, and there will be more violence in the upcoming chapters. Including torture scenes. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable with either of these, or do so at your own discretion!

"_It never gets easier, missing you. And sometimes I wonder if it ever will." _

― _Heather Brewer, Ninth Grade Slays_

Her fingers gripped the handles of the guns. Her eyes darkened with the rage and sadness that flowed through her like a gushing river during a storm. A typhoon of pain and self-hate. They were silently awaiting the two creatures to shuffle their way back to the house. The shells of what used to be Ranka and a fellow employee came to the apartment at the same time everyday, when Ranka usually got off work. They would then shuffle to Ranka's co-workers house and then head back to the bar.

It would be time soon. Haruhi swallowed thickly. "They move fairly fast, and may try to use the memories they have against us. However, they will try to kill us."

Kyouya understood why it was so hard for her to kill her father. He always tricked her into thinking he remembered and then turned around and tried to hurt her. Something her father would never done. With each confrontation, her nerves wore down and she had steadily became more afraid of doing it. Haruhi stood beside him, their bags discarded off to the side. If they were going to die they didn't need any supplies, but they weren't leaving until the creatures were dead or they were.

Then they heard it. The shuffling of feet in the distance. Haruhi's knuckles went white for a while before she forced herself to relax. She had cried it out, she had to be strong. They were exposed, and the scar on her face was a reminder about how that _thing_ didn't care about her like her father did. The creatures crept around the corner, looking disgusting and rather dead. Haruhi noted there was more blood on her father's dress than last.

Her jaw tightened when the thing looked at her. "Haru...hii..." he breathed out raspy, the brown eyes shifting over to Kyouya. "Kyou...yaaa~" his voice rose to a creepy octave. Sending a shiver down Kyouya's back. Haruhi glanced at him. The man beside him didn't move, just stared before licking his lips. The tongue was longer then the average humans and his mouth opened to an unnatural width.

"Fresh," he whispered, stepping forwards. Haruhi rose her gun, her nerves rebuilding with each moment. Kyouya reached over, squeezing her forearm before raising his own gun. The moment they became a threat, Ranka moved. Kyouya was startled by the speed the man with one shoe on could move at. Haruhi fired, the bullet sinking into her fathers shoulder. However, Ranka paused only to let out a yelp of pain before running forwards.

"You pay attention to the other one," Haruhi called out, shoving Kyouya to the side and firing a few more bullets at her father. A few more hit their target. Ranka stopped, staring at the blood seeping from him, and then black skin crossed over, leaving the bloodstains there.

"You were always so smart," the thing chuckled, looking at Haruhi, "Come to Daddy~!"

"Fuck you," Haruhi growled, noting that Kyouya was concentrating his energy solely on the other man. Her father's body stepped forwards in an awkward lunge like motion. Haruhi skittered backwards, raising the gun again.

"You can't kill meee~! You've tried be...forrre" his voice went back to it's breathy tone. She snarled. Angry. This thing wasn't her father. Why should she spare it any remorse? She is doing her father a favour! It lunged, it's grotesque hand grabbing her. However, she yanked her arm away and fired another shot to his chest in her wild attempt to get away from him. Cursing herself, she should've gone for the head.

Her arm bled from scratches of the creatures fingernails. Haruhi backed away, not wanting to turn her back on him. Afraid of what would happen. Her eyes flickered over to Kyouya when a few gun shots and curses flew into the air. Ranka's co-worker was faster and more deadly than Ranka. She saw Kyouya was suffering a bleeding lip and multiple scratches. Haruhi was glad that Kyouya was agile and was making some work on his enemy. She on the other hand? Wasn't. Kyouya had gotten in some good shots that made the creature howl in pain and back away.

Pain exploded in her eye and she stumbled back, one hand dropping the gun and reaching to her eye. It wasn't the pain of being punched, it was excruciating. Her heart hammered in her chest. There was blood on her fathers fingers, which he licked and his eyes narrowed. "Join...uss...Haru..hi."

She pulled her hand away and saw the blood coating her fingers, but realized she could only see out of one eye. Before she could scream she felt a body collide with hers and she was shoved against the wall. Fingers digging in to her neck, scratching and pulling. Blood welled and slid down. There was an inhuman scream, but Haruhi couldn't see it. She couldn't breath. With her strength she rose her arm up and pressed the muzzle of the gun against her father's deranged face as his jaw unhinged and moved to bite into her flesh. There was a loud bang and his grip slowly loosened. His eyes moving from their blood lust to confusion. "Haruhi..." he whispered, bloody fingers trailing down her face, before he fell.

Kyouya looked over, when there was a gun shot. He had gone to their bags and pulled out the large knife within. Cutting the creatures head off so it wouldn't come back to life. He ran over to the girl as she fell to her knees. Her hair had fallen in front of her eyes. He stabbed the knife into Ranka's head before lifting her face noting the blood that was pouring down her face. He couldn't bite back the gasp and grimace.

The eye with her scar was completely red with blood, punctured through. Kyouya immediately lifted her up and hurried over to their bags. He dug through them, she was limp but alive. In a state of shock most likely. He immediately went to work, bandaging her eye with a large gauze and wrapping it with bandage, securing it down. He wrapped her neck firmly, but not firmly enough to cause her discomfort. He ignored her scratches, knowing that was the least of their problems. Haruhi seemed to snap out of her insobriety and took over from Kyouya, helping him with his own wounds. A large cut on his arm from god knows what and a bite wound on his shoulder. Both had their largest wounds wrapped before they heard the fast shuffling and groans of more creatures.

Their hearts nearly burst out of their chests. Kyouya gathered his bag, shoving Haruhi's onto her before grabbing her hand. They took off. Running even in their exhausted, blood deprived states. Adrenaline kicking in once again to save their lives. Haruhi didn't think of anything besides running. Not even realizing she left behind one of her guns. They ran and ran until their chests were screaming at them to stop, and still they ran. Haruhi finally collapsed, tripping over her own two feet and tumbling to the ground. Her body racking with deep breathes as her body tried to get over the fear and the exhaustion it was facing.

Kyouya skidded to a stop and went back to her. The sky was growing dark. "Where is a good place to bunker down for the night?" he asked, more like demanded, as he helped her to her feet and hurried her along. Begging her legs to continue working for at least a few more minutes. Haruhi took a deep breath.

"School," was all she replied with, waving to where the clock tower was raising above the houses.

-X

Haruhi collapsed on one of the red plush couches. Dust billowed up, causing her body to rack with coughs and sneezes she sat up and covered her mouth. Kyouya secured the door and pulled a few curtains closed, leaving one open to allow light to filter through. "We should probably lock ourselves in the storage room for the night, in the morning we'll go to the store, leave a note and hunker down in the syndicate."

All she managed was a nod, her body too sore and exhausted for her to comprehend anything else. Kyouya walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you," he murmured quietly, "I know it might not be much..."

She nodded once again and he hooked his arm under her knees and lifted her up. Carrying her over to the storage room opening and entering as the sun started to slip off the sky. The room was dark as he closed the door but he ruffled through his bag and pulled out a flashlight. Setting it up so the light gave everything a dull glow. Haruhi didn't even have enough energy to pull out her blanket. Her legs gave out and she fell to the floor and curled up. Eyes closing and falling asleep.

Kyouya smiled sadly before pulling out the blanket and draping it over her form. He moved beside her head, shifting it so it rested on his lap before removing his glasses. He noticed that her glasses weren't on her face. They would've saved her face, where were they? He would ask her when she awoke. He felt exhaustion running over him as he ran his fingers through her short hair. Occasionally feeling the blood laced within it and swallowing thickly.

Sleep overcame him soon.

When he awoke, Haruhi was still curled up, her hand resting just above his knee, but overall she hadn't moved. The flashlight was still on and he quickly turned it off. Light filtered in under the door and he gently shook Haruhi's shoulder. "We need to go," he whispered gently, as he handed her a breakfast bar. Her eyes- no, eye, flickered open and she groaned. Sitting up and reaching up to rub both of them. Only to find a bandage over one. Her fingers touched it gently before she accepted the bar and ate it silently.

Kyouya tucked things back into their bags before helping her up. Her legs felt like jelly as they walked out the door. Nostalgia smacked into her like a bullet. The faint scent of roses that seemed to permeate the room that was barely noticeable over the dust. Her mind raced through the memories. Remembering the very first memory. Entering the room and seeing her soon-to-be six best friends in the world, all very handsome. She remembered tipping the vase.

Remembered being forced to work for them. Remembered the first time Tamaki took her chin in his hand, at the time she was freaking out. Remembered the fear she had of Kyouya. Remembered the pride that she was able to tell the twins apart. Remembered being offered Usa-chan. Remembered being hoisted into the air by Takashi. Remembered when they figured out she was a girl.

Kyouya stopped, seeing the looks of emotion flashing across her face. First pain, then happiness, and then finally sadness. His eyes looked over the room. He told her to wait before he did a quick sweep of the room. Checking for any other disturbed dust that they didn't cause. Haruhi noticed something under the couch and walked over. Bending down and pulling it out. Kyouya looked over at her at the sharp intake of breath.

A pink stuffed bunny in her hand, dust lightly covering it.

"He forgot it?" Haruhi asked incredulously, her eyes snapping towards Kyouya. He shoved his glasses up his face uncomfortably.

"We knew about the impending war..." he murmured quietly, "We were worrying that day..."

She thrust the bunny towards him, confusion clearly written on her face. "It's Usa-chan! He wouldn't have left her here!"

"He must have been worried about protecting things more important to him," Kyouya whispered lowering the bunny and giving her a look. "Regardless, it's been six years since he has seen Usa-chan. We'll bring her with us," he took her gently from Haruhi and put it into her bag tucked by his blanket. Haruhi nodded, smiling slightly. This trip was moving smoothly. Although, memories of yesterday decided to remind her of her sadness and the smile quickly faded.

-X

Haruhi opened the door for Kyouya, and they quickly stepped into the store. Kyouya took a look around before he ushered the girl over to the pharmaceutical portion of the store. He changed her bandages, choking back the grimace at seeing her eye again. Haruhi wrote the note and stuck it in the corner where she had bumped into Takashi, a faint smile spreading over her lips. Just over a week ago and she felt much better. Being around friends, and being able to finally do something that she had been clinging to. That sense of familiarity with her father, hearing him say her name brought back so many memories. It scared her to kill him. She could cling onto the past through her friends, and they could cling onto the past through her.

The shadow king kept half his mind on what Haruhi was doing while the other part was searching for medicine that would help her. He picked up a few strong pain killers, and some other bottles of medicine he foresaw would be useful for them to have. Of course, he grabbed a bunch of bandages, tensor bandages, splints, gauze, antibiotics, and anything else that they were running low on. He looked over at Haruhi as she exited the backroom, his eye being caught on something in the aisle.

"Do you want an eye patch?" he asked, lifting up the package, it crinkled lightly. Haruhi gave him a look, almost offended, before sighing. Stepping over her pride and holding her hands out for it. He tossed it before lifting his backpack up from the ground and looking at her. "Where from here?"

She shoved the package into her pack before motioning him to follow her. He was silent, heart beating loudly in his chest. A pressure in his chest told him to run. His back tensed to an almost painful point, but Haruhi was calm so he just kept checking around to see if anything was heading for them. Kyouya's eye went to Haruhi's holster and cursed quietly. "Your gun."

"I'll grab another," she waved a hand, not looking at him. He nodded, ignoring the fact that she couldn't see it regardless. They reached the syndicate and Kyouya hoisted himself up and pulled Haruhi up after a second. She smiled at him faintly as they hopped down from the wall and onto the grass of the compound. "We'll stay here all day tomorrow to get our strength back before making the hike."

-X

"They've been gone for far too long, Takashi," Mitsukuni whispered the day after the two were suppose to be back. He fidgeted with a pillow, staring out the window. Wanting to see them running up to the fence. Hopefully with both of them fully in tact, but he wasn't going to falsely hope something that could turn out to be opposite. He didn't want to disappoint himself.

Takashi nodded, lowering the sword he was sharpening. "Meeting," he called, loud enough that it nearly startled his cousin. It took a minute or so before everyone was in the room. He examined the sword before sheathing it and turning towards the others. "We're making a run."

"What's the cargo?" Hikaru asked, leaning back. Worry was etched in his face, but he hadn't been counting the days. Nights blended into days so easily that it was hard for them to tell the difference.

"Kyouya and Haruhi," Takashi spoke, "Alive."

"What if they're dead?" it was Kasanoda who spoke up, earning a glare from nearly every man in the room. Takashi settled an even look on the boy.

"We promised we'd go to find them if they didn't return by the fourth day," Tamaki spoke up, remembering the conversation Kyouya and Takashi had just five days previous. "We have to hope that the reason they aren't coming is because one of them was hurt just badly enough that making the trip would've been too difficult after that experience."

"Who wants to go?" Takashi asked, attaching the sword belt to his waist and looked at the men. Nearly everyone rose their hands. Wanting to get their friends back. Takashi let out a slight sigh from his nose before shaking his head. "Who knows how to get to the syndicate?"

Only Kasanoda kept his hand up, looking a bit shocked.

"Who can fight?" Kasanoda kept his hand up. Mitsukuni started to raise his hand, but Takashi lowered it.

"You're needed here, to keep them safe," Takashi spoke quickly before Mitsukuni could get angry at being left behind when his friends needed him. "The rest of you need to stay here in case Haruhi and Kyouya return and one of them is badly injured. We'll be back before tomorrow night."

The twins saluted nearly lazily, looking a bit angry that they were given such a useless job. There was no way either of them would attempt making that trip if they were badly injured. They were just being told to stay out of the way, even though they were both capable fighters. Hikaru had proven himself once or twice, and Kaoru was good at long distance fighting. Takashi wasn't taking chances. He wanted to get there and get back with minimal fighting if possible.

They immediately set to work preparing bags for the two of them. Keeping their cargo low, basic necessities for their travel. Takashi grabbed his bow, hooking it to the light bag and attaching the quiver to his other hip. Kasanoda checked his gun for ammo and then holstered it, double checking he had extra magazines before he gave Takashi a nod.

"Back by sunset tomorrow," Mitsukuni ordered his taller cousin, a serious look on his face. Takashi ruffled the smaller blondes hair and nodded. The two men left without another word, walking calmly to the gate and leaving. They stared at the forest, Kasanoda looked over at his old role model.

"Run it?" he asked, rolling his shoulders and looking forwards. Takashi nodded, he was sure his leg wouldn't give out, and he wouldn't push himself too hard. He knew that while Kasanoda was strong, he wasn't an endurance fighter. He was more quick fights and runs, Takashi had built up endurance and knew he could run faster and longer than the man beside him could. Without another word, they both took the first steps. Launching themselves into the forest.

Their legs carried them far into the forest. Launching themselves off the fallen trees Haruhi and Kyouya were at mere days ago, ducking under low branches, dodging large rocks. A quick jump over a small creek and then pressed on. The trees thinning. They hadn't stopped as they ran. Kasanoda had slowed quite a bit, but sped up when he began to think about what could have happened to Haruhi. With each second they wasted she could be in even more danger. Takashi was worried about them both, and was ignoring the pain in his calf. It wasn't screaming yet, just a dull throb.

When the city came into view, Kasanoda took over. Leading his old role model into the city, through the streets. Ignoring the sight of the dead dog, and later on more dogs. Something was angry, or another group had been through there. At that thought his ears were listening for anything, and eyes scanning the road. Takashi had a similar thought as the two headed for the store. Kasanoda slid through the broken window first, and Takashi after. The former stood watch while Takashi jogged over to the room and blindly felt for the note. After a few minutes his fingers hit paper and he lifted it. It was defiantly Haruhi's writing. The relief that washed over him when his fingers hit the paper made him smile.

_TM_

_We did it. Fortunately our injuries weren't as  
bad as theirs. Tell you more later._

_Meet at the 'second base' if we do not return  
by the scheduled time._

_H+K_

Takashi pocketed the note. It had reached it's desired target and he wasn't going to afford anyone else the luxury of figuring out anything on that paper. He headed back over to the red head ex-yukaza leader and nodded his head. Lead on.

The syndicate wasn't that far, and he remembered it fairly well. Although the path was also fairly different. Things looked a lot different on the ground than from the roof. They moved quickly. Reaching the wall. Pulling themselves up and over.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Takashi pulled out his katana, feeling a sense of dread. Haruhi and the others had allowed themselves to indulge in the syndicate. Their voices didn't carry out of the compound, but they would've been able to hear the faint sound of talking people. He hoped that Haruhi and Kyouya just weren't speaking at that moment as Kasanoda reached for his gun and waved to the door. You first.

The rooms were empty. Takashi could feel it before even stepping foot inside the door. He didn't drop his stance and turned towards the sitting room. His heart skipped a few beats as he looked inside. A wall was covered with splattered blood and a man was laying dead on the ground. A familiar looking gun was dropped near the couch and after he lifted it up he knew it was Haruhi's. Kasanoda entered the room and cursed loudly.

He walked over to the man, pushing him to the side and froze. Not because there was a hole in the centre of a bloodied forehead, but because he recognized the man. He didn't give the man respect and spat on his shirt. "You fuckers..." Kasanoda growled. Takashi stared, waiting, his grip tight on the gun. Knuckles turning white. "I know where they are."


	8. Tempting Death

"_I don't want to die without any scars." _

― _Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club_

Kyouya felt groggy. His limbs felt like lead and his head pounded between his eyes. He peeled his eyes open, they felt crusted and heavy. His cheek was pressed into concrete and when he moved his tongue over his lips it felt like sandpaper over rougher sandpaper. He moved his arm sluggishly, the clanging of metal made him freeze and look for the source. There was a handcuff attached to a chain around his wrist. He sat up and tugged at it, the metal digging into his skin lightly. His wrist already red from the metal brushing against his skin. How long had he been out?

The room was dark, but light streamed out a window that was badly bordered up. Giving a few silver slivers that streaked through the room. Catching dust in the ray as it danced through the air. Everything else was blurry, but he saw a vaguely human shape off to the side and stayed deathly quiet. His heart began beating and the fatigue in his limbs melted off and replaced with new vitality.

It seemed like hours, but the human shape didn't move, even when the door was open and light spilled into the darkness. A man walked in and over to Kyouya, tilting his head back roughly and placing the edge of a water bottle to his lips, he poured water into Kyouya's mouth, but not in a way too choke him. Kyouya accepted the water after tasting the pure taste. The man forced Kyouya to drink the entire bottle before shoving his glasses on his face and turning to the human lump. The man blocked Kyouya's view as he did the same thing to the rooms occupant, but it calmed Kyouya's heart significantly. Even though he couldn't remember what happens or who these people were, he was glad that the other thing in the room wasn't a creature, but in fact a human.

The room was quickly thrown back into it's darkened state. Kyouya was temporarily blind as his eyes adjusted, glad that his glasses were back on his face, even if he could see the smears of finger prints at the edges. He stared at the person, eyes straining to see who it was. It didn't take him long to figure out. "Har-" his voice was scratchy and didn't get the volume he wanted, he cleared his throat. Glad for the water. "Haruhi!"

The figure shifted, hearing her name and her head rose. The bandage on her eye was pale grey with the centre darker than the rest. He knew that they hadn't changed it. She looked brutal, there was a dried cut across her cheek and her wrists were chained to the wall, blood cracked and smeared down her arms and cuts across the once pale flesh from where she struggled against her binds. Kyouya's eyes widened, her cracked lips twisted into a tight smile. Her way of saying 'I'm fine' but she grimaced. Blood forming on her cracked lips.

He tried to remember how they were in that position. What had happened and why were they there? The pounding sensation between his eyes grew and he flinched, shaking his head. Focus. He sought for the memories until it clicked.

-X

_Haruhi had opened the door and instantly knew something was wrong. She yanked her gun out and stepped in, pointing it down the hall. Kyouya yanked his own gun out, his heart pounding. He didn't like the fact that their supposed safe spot wasn't safe. They were silent, walking until they heard a shuffling in the sitting room. Haruhi shoved open the door and shot blindly. Although the bullet found the target. The man fell down and there were angry and surprised shouts._

_The men yanked their guns out, aiming it towards the partially blinded girl. One took advantage of that and twisted his gun around, bashing it against the side of her head and she fell. Kyouya jumped towards her, catching her before she hit the ground. She didn't need any more trauma. The man stared at him, he was bald and a tattoo across his head. Another man looked young, not even fifteen, and was holding a hammer loosely in his hands. Kyouya narrowed his eyes but before he could say anything one of the men rose a gun towards him._

"_Put the girl on the ground and leave," he growled out. Kyouya lowered her down before grabbing her gun and shooting the guy. He didn't have the aim Haruhi did, and the bullet lodged in his shoulder. The hammer guy jumped forwards and swung the hammer towards Kyouya. He jumped out of the way, firing off another round, this time towards the boy. It missed anything vital, scratching the boys ear. The boy still shouted out in pain and grabbed his now bleeding ear. _

_Kyouya knew why they weren't firing randomly at him, they would attract creatures there, and there were more of them there than him. They would try to take him out quietly. Kyouya growled at them, "I will fire off all the rounds in this gun and attract all creatures in the area to this syndicate if you don't get the fuck out."_

_Before he could carry out the threat, he felt something heavy collide with his head and the lights went off in an instant._

-X

Kyouya opened his mouth to speak again, but the door was flung open again and a man strode in. Looking large and in charge. He walked over to Kyouya and bent down, grasping his face roughly in his large hand a narrowed his eyes. "Pretty boy final awake, eh?" he said in broken Japanese. Clearly a foreigner. His fingernails dug into Kyouya's cheek uncomfortably before the man ripped his hand away, leaving red marks on his face and moving towards Haruhi. He exchanged some words with her, once that Kyouya didn't hear. Haruhi didn't have enough energy to raise her voice to give the proper tone she was trying to pass towards the man.

Suddenly there was a sharp noise of skin connecting with skin and Kyouya flinched. In the concrete room it sounded worse than it probably was. Haruhi didn't even make a noise, so it calmed Kyouya down slightly. "Fucker," he grumbled under his breath, tugging at his restraints. The man turned to look at Kyouya and growled.

"What you say? Do not anger me."

"Why the fuck did you kidnap us?" he shouted, "You fuckers attacked us-"

He felt the momentum of the slap before he felt the pain. It flashed and stung painfully, but he gritted past it.

"My friend killed by her," the man shoved a finger towards Haruhi. "We did not attack you."

"Not this time," Haruhi rasped out, lifting her head from it's position and staring at him darkly. "You've done it before, what's stopping you from doing it again."

The man bristled in anger and whistled sharply. A man walked in and removed one of Haruhi's restraints. She had just enough energy to shove him away slightly, but the man grasped her hand and took one of the chains that hung from the roof and attached it to her wrist. Followed by the other one before dragging her to the centre of the room. Another person, this time female walked in as the two men tugged at the chains, forcing her to her feet. The woman walked over with a large knife. Kyouya started thrashing in his restraints but the woman just slid the knife under Haruhi's shirt and cut a large line through it.

"Where are the others?" the woman asked him, her blue eyes piercing into his. "We know this bitch has three other fuckers hiding out with her."

"Who are you talking about?" Kyouya growled out, staring at the knife in her hand. He knew what would happen, but Haruhi's brown eyes gave him such a dark look for the amount of energy she had that he knew if he talked she would've gathered up all the energy she had just to kill him.

"I don't know their names, do you?" she asked, the blade tip trailing over Haruhi's near flawless back. "For each name you give me, I'll spare her a cut."

Kyouya pressed his lips tightly together. "I don't know their real names but their nicknames are, Ore, Ishi, and Koroshi."

"What's your name?" the girl looked partially amused.

"Anata."

Haruhi let out an inhuman noise as the blade sliced down her back. Blood welling up.

"Clever boy, but I'm not stupid. Ore ishi koroshi anata*, the correct grammar for that is Watashi wa anata o korosudeshou*," she smirked, then dragged the knife down Haruhi's back twice more. Haruhi squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the pain. It faded after the blade removed, but it was unpleasant none the less. Kyouya's eyes narrowed. "Let's try something else, where are they?"

"I haven't seen them in a couple days, I'm not even sure what day it is and you fucking think I know where they are now?" Kyouya growled out, tugging at his restraints again. "Then you are torturing someone else to get information from me, how cowardly can you get?"

The woman turned and left the room, coming back in with a whip. She nodded to the men and they tied off the chain before leaving the room. She walked around and smiled a sickly sweet smile at Haruhi, "Haru-chan, where are they? Where are your supplies and boyfriends? We won't hurt them, I promise." Haruhi just rose her eyes, staying silent for a while before snarling. Refusing to lower her eyes or look away. Not about to bow down to the girl in front of her. The girl shook her head. "Last time we went easy on you," the girl growled, "We let you get away, but this time you'll bleed out and die here if you don't tell us what we want to know."

"Why not kill me and skip your disappointment?" Haruhi asked venom in her exhausted voice. She was slapped across the face, and Kyouya watched helplessly.

The girl walked around and snapped the whip towards Haruhi's back, and Kyouya watched helplessly.

Haruhi bit back her exclamation of pain, her eyes widened, and Kyouya watched helplessly.

He struggled against his bonds, the metal digging into his wrists. Another crack followed by another, followed by another. The leather digging into her skin, creating cuts and welts that bleed nearly instantly. Kyouya felt himself thrashing against his bonds trying to get to the girl who had tears pouring from her eye. The girl who refused to cry out in pain as blood seeped out of the cuts. Kyouya felt warmth around his wrists and ignored the pain and the moisture. Blood staining his skin and the metal.

The woman looked insane, a large grin on her face as she caused pain to the girl and boy at the same time. One of them would crack, and she would be able to deliver the good news to her leader. Potential gain for herself. The whip slashed across the bloodied back, spraying blood over herself and the dark haired boy. As she raised it there was a bang of a gun being shot. Her arm froze and she called out to the man in the hall. She lowered the whip and headed out quickly to figure out what had happened.

Haruhi began sobbing, her body shaking. Kyouya wanted to help her, he wanted to lessen her pain. Somehow, in anyway possible. There was too much pain for one person in such a small amount of time. Especially her. She was so small, Kyouya felt as if at the moment she couldn't get anymore fragile and tiny. He wouldn't say that then, and would never say that to her. He would always tell her she was strong for withstanding that, and she was.

There was a curse outside the door, drawing his attention away from the brunette. "What do you fucking mean two men were able to get in?" Kyouya's attention piqued and he held his breath to hear the conversation.

"One fucking cut Isamu's head clean off," a male's voice spoke hurriedly, "They looked pissed and both look like demon dogs from hell. The one who has the blade was shot in the arm, but he retaliated by stabbing the guy who shot him in the face. They're brutal! Fuck!"

"What are we going to do with them then?"

"Lock 'em up, they'll die. These bastards will probably care more about supplies then them," the male spoke and the door to their room slammed shut. Kyouya thrashed against his bindings again, shouting out to the people. He was acting, even Haruhi in her half pain induced delusion, knew he was. He was shouting for them not to leave them there.

Silence fell over them for the longest time, they heard bullets being exchanged and screams of agony and anger. Kyouya heard Haruhi inhale and exhale deeply a few times. A few tears and a muffled shout of pain slipped from her. She jumped slightly, yanking her feet out from beneath her. Her weight forced the chains to slip from their rusted attachments. She collapsed onto the ground, body rocking with sobs. She laid still for the longest time as the war outside raged on, but then she forced herself to her knees and hands and coughed up some blood. She wiped her mouth before turning towards Kyouya, her brown eyes meeting his.

Before she could do anything, the door was slammed open by the woman and she shut it quickly. Resting her back against the door, her chest heaving. Blood splattering over her. She stared at Haruhi with horror in her eyes. Neither knowing whether it was from the fact that Haruhi still had the strength to get down from the chains or the fact that there was a blood bath in the other room.

"Oi! She went this way!" a familiar voice shouted, anger and disgust filling his voice. The three in the room held their breath as the sound of two sets of footsteps walked to the door. The woman slunk away from the door, being as quiet as she could be. A dark grin stretched over Haruhi's face.

"Help us," Haruhi choked out in her hoarse voice.

The door slammed open and the woman shouted out in fear. Light spilled into the room, as Haruhi slid to the floor. Becoming dizzier as seconds past. She didn't see Kasanoda turning towards the woman and shooting her in the head. Or him finding the keys in her pocket and unlocking Kyouya's binds. She felt hands touch her arm before the sound of something smacking onto the concrete beside her. She felt her shirt being yanked off and then something spraying over her back, stinging but not enough for her to shout out.

Takashi moved quickly, wrapping the small girl with the bandages and gauze in his pack. Kyouya hurried over once he was free and helped Takashi. They couldn't stitch her up there, it would be too dangerous if other members of the group came back. Kyouya changed the bandage on her eye, Takashi didn't comment and Kyouya was thankful.

Haruhi felt pressure on her back and instantly thrashed out weakly, but the pain that flashed through her knocked her out soon after.

-X

Tamaki was wringing his hands together, staring out the window. It had been a day. "What if they don't come back either?" he voiced the thoughts of the rest of the group. They stayed silent, not answering his question and allowing him to continue his fretting in silence. They were all worrying that the four of them had befallen death.

It wasn't until the sun started to set that the door slammed open, waking Tamaki up. Ritsu threw four bags onto the table before holding everyone back with Kyouya as Takashi carried Haruhi into the medical area. Kyouya shouted out orders to the other before entering the room. Everyone blew up in a state of panic. What was wrong with her? Was she dying? Was she mutating?

Ritsu told everyone to shut up, anger in his eyes and he looked like he wouldn't hesitate to unload the last of his bullets into their brains. "Your questions will be answered, just calm the fuck down and think!"

"What happened, Bossa Nova!" Hikaru shouted, fists clenching until his fingernails punctured his skin. Haruhi was in trouble and they didn't even know what happened.

"Ya think I know?" he growled, "We get there and there's a dead body in the syndicate and both of those guys are missing. We figure out where they were and Haruhi is bleeding out. I wasn't about to ask questions, she was in trouble and we needed to get her back here before she died. Any of you bastards going to calm down or am I going to have to knock you out?"

The group was silent, listening to Kyouya and Takashi barking back at each other in the other room. Takashi left at one point, heading into the old laundry room now medical supply closet and grabbing some supplies and hurrying back. Shutting the door before they could see in. It was an hour before there was silence coming from the room. The twins clutched each other tightly, tears held back. Everyone was staring at the door, wondering what the silence signified.

The door opened calmly and Takashi walked out, delicately holding Haruhi. Who was swaddled in a blanket and bandages. He carried her upstairs, ignoring the stares, he nodded towards Mitsukuni and he followed his cousin upstairs. Mitsukuni opened Takashi's bedroom door and he walked in, placing the girl on his bed before asking his cousin to grab a bottle of water.

He didn't even question it before heading to do as he was told. Takashi had a cloth and cleaned the dried blood and dirt from Haruhi's face where there weren't bandages. Mitsukuni headed back downstairs, allowing Takashi the chance to feel useful to the girl when he wasn't there to help her. Takashi was making up his failure to protect her by being as helpful as he could.

The group downstairs was starting to raise their voice when Kyouya came out with blood splattering his clothes and face. He rubbed his face with some water as Mitsukuni headed down the stairs. The small blonde glaring at them, "You'll wake Haru-chan up."

They all went deathly silent as the eldest sat down and stared at Kyouya expectantly. He adjusted his glances and launched into the events, telling them at a reasonable tone and volume. After he finished telling them about Haruhi getting her eye stabbed by her father and how she killed him, he fell silent. Rubbing his face. "If you could all wait, I think Haruhi should tell the rest," he mumbled shaking his head. Knowing that Haruhi would want to give Mitsukuni his stuffed pink bunny when she woke up. Whenever she did wake up.

"We wanna know now!" Hikaru rose his voice, but not to the point that he would wake Haruhi up. "We deserve to know!"

Kyouya levelled a gaze at him and adjusted his glasses. "Haruhi's perspective would be better, she had a first hand experience in everything and some of her actions would be better explained by her rather than a viewer. Although, if you really want to know now, you can go wake her up. With her exhaustion and current need for rest and healing, I'm sure she'll appreciate you waking her up. Not only that but I think that you'd have to get past Takashi."

"Healing is more important than the reason behind why they need to be healed," Mitsukuni spoke up, making retorts die in the others throats. "Kyo-chan should go and rest for the night. We'll learn more about what happened at a later time."

-X

It was an intense couple of days as Haruhi rested. She woke in boughts of consciousness before succumbing to sleep again. She was fed whenever she was awake enough for her to get her energy back, but it still took her just over a month before she was able to get out of the bed without feeling an intense pain shoot up her back. Everyone was downstairs doing various chores around the house when she ambled down the stairs. No one noticed her at first, she was moving so slow it barely registered to them that there was movement. She walked over to the bags that were still laying discarded on a couch.

Takashi entered the room with a bundle of sheets in his arms, watching her for a moment before placing the sheets down. He watched her as she opened Kyouya's. Mitsukuni was sitting on another couch, looking over a list of everything that they had and making another list of things they needed. However, the pen in his hand was frozen just over the paper as he watched Haruhi. They were acting as if she was a deer that would be startled if she heard a loud noise.

She made a soft triumphant noise and pulled something gently out of the bag. Pink faded fabric in a shape of a bunny. The pen fell to the table and Mitsukuni stood up. He walked over and Haruhi extended Usa-chan towards him. His fingers lifted, shaking severely, and he touched the fabric. It felt the same, his fingers remembered the soft plush instantly. He took it gently from Haruhi, staring at the black beaded eyes, the faded fabric, the cute expression. A thick swallow and his fingers tightened before crushing the bunny to his chest. Fat tears rolled down his face as he buried his nose into the top of the stuff animals head and inhaled the musty scent.

Haruhi smiled softly, ruffling Mitsukuni hair lightly. He looked up at her, a sob escaping him, he threw his arms around her and hugged her. Truthfully, he wanted to crush her in a tight hug to thank her, he wanted to kiss her, he wanted to hug her forever, but with her condition that wouldn't be good at all. She had found Usa-chan for him. Even if she had died, she found Usa-chan. Usa-chan was the only thing he still had of his late grandmother, and his previous life.

Takashi walked over and ruffled her hair as she kissed Mitsukuni's forehead and rubbed his back. Ignoring the pain in her wrists and back. The others heard the giddy noise that escaped Mitsukuni's mouth and entered the room. He turned towards them, tossing Usa-chan up with a large smile. "Look who returned!"

Chika looked ready to throttle his brother, and ready to grab the bunny and hug it as well. It was a welcome return of normalcy in their hectic world, if you could call that normal. The twins moved over to Haruhi, gently resting their arms on her shoulders and smiling at her. One was cut off from her field of vision but she didn't comment on it, and didn't try to pull away. Her back hurt from the slightest movements.

"What happened?" they asked at the same time. Getting right to the point. Haruhi let out a sigh, not wanting to recount the events but did anyways. Ending up sitting on the couch, head resting on Kyouya's shoulder, exhausted just from talking. Her eyes kept closing for long periods of times, but her mouth kept rattling off the accounts.

"They attacked you again?" Satoshi slammed his fist into the table, eyes narrowing. "Those fucking bastards. This is a time to be nice to fellow humans instead of fucking torturing them!"

"Language," Haruhi hummed straightening, "I know, but I'm pretty sure that Mori and Ritsu killed a lot of them, so they'll be out of our hair for ever hopefully."

Chika shook his head, scowling. "If I see those bastards, I am going to kill them."

"Beat you there," Ritsu grumbled, "Oh, Takashi," he patted Takashi on the shoulder, distracting himself, "Is your arm healing nicely?"

Haruhi eyed him curiously and he nodded, lifting his sleeve to show the bullet wound that was raised pink flesh. She reached forwards and ran her fingers over the skin. An apologetic gesture. "Regardless," she murmured shaking her head, "It's in the past, and in this time we have to focus on the here and now."


	9. Separation at the Worst

"_Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."  
― Alfred Tennyson, In Memoriam_

Haruhi drummed her fingers lightly on her stomach, staring up at the ceiling. Rain pounded roughly against the windows, trapping them all within the confines of the pension. For the last week. It wasn't normally something that got on their nerves, the rain was...well a nice change to the dusty and dry air. They went out and fooled around in the rain the first day, running about. However, they quickly headed in and changed into dry clothes. Not taking the chance on getting a cold.

Now, they were all praying that the storm would move on and they would get some sunlight. A rare occurance, but they really wanted to do something besides sitting around the house, doing occasional chores. It wasn't like they could go for a walk when the forest floor was mud, they couldn't go on the internet, watch television or call up someone. Those things were impossible to do now that nearly everyone was dead.

A loud bang startled everyone in the room. Haruhi launched off the couch, her back and wrists had healed nicely. Being over three months since she had been originally injured. Satoshi and Tamaki both jumped off the other couch where they had been in the middle of a card game. Satoshi grabbing a Katana and sliding it out of it's sheath. Ristu, Chika, Takashi and Mitsukuni darted down the stairs, while Kyouya peered over from his seat at a desk, a frown on his face. The twins headed out of the kitchen, knifes in their grip.

Kaoru passed a knife to Haruhi as she headed towards the door. They supposed it was something harmless, maybe just a branch broke off and hit the door. Haruhi threw open the door, and a surprised noise escaped her lip as a creature burst into the house. Grasping her throat. She choked, but before any damage could be done, Satoshi thrust the katana straight through the creatures head. Causing it's grip to go slack.

Haruhi stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground, knife falling harmlessly to the ground beside her. Everyone in the room stared at the creature, the door still blown wide open. The rain blowing in and soaking the hallway. Hikaru moved and closed the door, locking it. Instantly Takashi and him worked on putting out the candles in the room. She slowly stood up, using the chair to help her.

It was odd that creature had managed to get so far outside of the city. From the smaller groups long time in the city around theses mutations, they had never seen the creatures go outside the city. Always sticking within the confines of the streets. Sure, sometimes they may walk down the paved road, but wouldn't go far. They didn't know that fresher food was out in the forest. They stayed where they were accustomed to. Maybe this one went to the pension when it was alive. Although, it would've walked down the front road and come in through that way.

So, what caused this creature to come all the way from the city?

Their silent questions were answered by the distant scream of a creature following it's pray. Air horns went off, gun shots. Things that would make any creature follow after it. Someone, and they all bet it was the group that had tortured Haruhi, was luring the creatures towards the pension. Takashi grab another one of the katana and motioned towards his brother. They slid out the front door, going to assess the situation. The group stayed still and tense as they waited. The noises slowly growing louder, and louder. Closer and closer.

The door opened again and Satoshi entered quickly, everyone started to get nervous. Was Takashi injured? However, the older man slipped in a few minutes later. They could tell they didn't slip in and out of the situation. A bit of blood was splattered on Takashi's clothes, but his blade was clean. He obviously was trying to make it seem like he didn't kill anyone. Although, they all knew it was the case.

"Move out," Takashi ordered the moment a gunshot sounded near the house. Kyouya grabbed Ritsu's arm and dragged him towards the closet. Together they pulled out large bags, passing them towards the others. Each running around the pension and collecting different items. No one had to ask the question. Why were they leaving? So, no one wasted the time asking. They moved with purpose. Light none perishable food, as well as some perishable food, was packed. Cans were piled into the cellar along with heavier medical equipment. Basic medicine, medical tools and supplies were tucked into the bags. Blankets, extra clothes, ammo, and basic supplies for surviving in the wilderness. Knowing that they couldn't go back to the city for a while. It was unsafe there, with the group of people waiting to slit their throats.

How did they find the pension? It was a question that was on all of their minds as they quickly packed. If one of them was a traitor it would make sense, but they all cared about each other and wouldn't dare to tell those people where their base camp was. The only thing anyone could think of was that they had managed to follow the group back when Takashi and Ritsu had brought Kyouya and Haruhi back. Yet, it was a long time for them to wait. Had they been searching throughout the forest and seen them?

Regardless of how, they were stuck in the now. Get as much as they could and get out. Any weapons they could carry were brought to the front door so they could grab it on their way out, and ammo tucked into the appropriate persons bag. Unless they didn't need ammo for their specific weapon. The rest of the weapons were stuffed into the cellar along with extra items and the cellar door was covered with heavy furniture.

Haruhi did a sweep of the upstairs bedrooms when something crashed through the window. She was lucky enough to be able to duck behind a wardrobe when the bottle of alchohal crashed against the floor, throwing the flammable liquid along with the fire in all directions. She cursed loudly, and gathered her courage. Jumping over some flames and getting to the door.

"Everyone out," she shouted immediately, slamming into the banister. The others looked up and they heard the fire starting to consume the room. Takashi nodded and tossed one of the packs towards the twins. Pulling one on himself. The others tugged on their jackets, packs and grabbed their weapons. Haruhi hurried down the stairs, being helped into her pack by Hikaru as she flicked the safety off on both her guns.

The group burst forth from the door. Not caring to be silent. "Road for speed," Satoshi shouted out to the others. They would've gone through the forest for stealth, but now they needed to get away. The loud rain, near destructive wind and more explosions of Molotov's, added with the scream of the creatures covered the noise of their escape. The group of ten ran down the darkened road, not caring that they were being thoroughly soaked.

It seemed that they were going to be able to escape, but a loud scream behind them caused them to glance back. Slowing them down briefly. A creature was running after them. Takashi shoved his cousin towards the forest and ordered for the others to do the same. Mitsukuni was the first to break the forest line, and Takashi was the last. Haruhi kept running down the road, ignoring Takashi's order. The creature continued to follow her, and she turned, watching as it gained on her. Completely ignoring those who darted into the forest.

Haruhi nodded and ducked into the forest at this point, knowing that the creature would follow her. Allowing the others to get away.

However, the unfortunate part of their plan was they didn't bother to choose a meet up area in case someone gets separated. So, by the time the group stopped for a breather, once they knew the creature wasn't following them, and Takashi did a head count. Haruhi was two miles north of their position and still moving. Her legs ready to give out, but the fear that was flowing through he was enough to keep her moving. Eventually she did give up and yank her gun out. Twisting around. The creature collided with her, sending them both to the floor.

The creature scratched at her, and she did the only thing she could in that position. Slammed her fist into the side of its grotesque face. It worked to get it off her enough that she was able to reach and grab the fallen gun. It grasped her throat and began choking her. Nails digging into her neck and drawing blood. The moment it saw the blood, one of its hands pulled back, but Haruhi moved quicker. Slamming the butt of the gun into it's temple. It howled in pain and she managed to fear her legs and kick it away. With a quick aim, she clenched her jaw and fired two bullets into the creatures skull.

The sounds reverberated loudly through the forest. Able to be heard distantly by the group. They all shared a look before quickly gathering their bags and taking off in the direction. However, with the thick rain and the darkness. They were unable to locate where exactly the noise came from. Takashi was the only one able to track things, and they turned to him finally. Tamaki giving up taking initiative. The older man moved quickly, taking in everything. He touched the bark of a tree. There was dark blood dripping own it. Being washed away by the rain. He quickly assessed which way whatever made it went and the group quickly headed in that direction.

The mud was filling with water and Takashi was able to track the two different tracks to a point where he paused. They all saw the skid and the depression in the mud. Two empty shell casings and a dead creature indicated who came out on top in the situation. Takashi kicked the creature lightly, making sure it really was dead, before Satoshi cut off its head. Ritsu dug through the creatures pockets and pulled out a wallet, opening it and sighing. "Cute kids..." he muttered quietly before tucking the wallet back into its pocket and straighting.

The group was silent as Takashi examined the ground, a determind look on his face. The dirt was getting covered by pine needles and the mud becoming less thick as they followed Haruhi's tracks. It was getting harder to follow, after all, any transfer prints were getting washed away. Eventually they reached the road and saw the tracks were heading back, but were washed away. They knew that Haruhi had gone back into the forest or they'd be able to see her.

"We have to stop looking, it's getting dark," Mitsukuni commented, tugging on Takashi's sleeve. "We should find somewhere to spend the night, Haru-chan is probably doing the same."

Hikaru stepped forwards, shaking his head, "Are you insane? We can't just let Haruhi wander around the forest at night alone!"

"That would be leaving her to die!" Tamaki added on, looking angry with the cousins. Kyouya adjusted his glasses with a sigh and crossing his arms.

"I believe that Haruhi has been in worse scenarios than being alone in the woods," Kyouya commented lightly, waving his hand. Tamaki looked like he was ready to throttle his best friend. The three that had been with Haruhi over the years kept silent, agreeing with Mitsukuni. Wanting to find shelter. Haruhi would leave clues to where she was, and if the rain cleared up they could quickly find her. She would bunker down somewhere if it wasn't safe to be wandering about. She wasn't dumb. However, Tamaki had another opinion.

"It doesn't matter if she's been in worse! She's out there alone! She's just one girl-"

"Her gender doesn't have anything to do with this situation," Takashi barked suddenly, looking throuoghly angry, "I know that she's alone out there, but she's strong and she would be making the same decision to find shelter and leave that one person alone for a night. I am not going to risk all our lives just to find her."

Tamaki's eyes narrowed, "Are you saying her life is that unimportant to you?"

"Tamaki..." Kaoru muttered, catching the look that flashed over Takashi's face. "I think you should calm down-"

"You are a sexist bigot who doesn't understand surivaval," Takashi retorted coolly, surprising everyone by his words. Six years ago he would've never imagined saying that, he would've never insulted someone to that degree. It showed just how much he had changed with all the horror and death around him. Tamaki stared at Takashi in complete horror.

"Takashi," Satoshi smacked his brother on the back, "I think we've all had a stressful couple hours," he gave the others a look, willing them to agree with him. "I think we should rest for a couple hours and try to find her. Besides, Suoh, if we go and look for her right now, it'll get dark and we won't be able to find anything helpful."

The others nodded their head, and Tamaki was still in too much shock to do anything but nod and follow the others as they headed back into the forest. They headed towards where mountains were sticking over the tips of the trees. Hoping that there would be a cave that provided a bit of protection against the wind and rain. However, caves anywhere were seldom unoccupied. They all hoped that Haruhi would have luck in finding a place to hunker down for the night.

In fact, she was having better luck. She had gone back into the forest, using a knife to cut markings into the trees as she walked along. Familiar markings that the younger cousins would be able to identify. She wasn't entirely sure if they would be able to find them. She didn't know where they were, if they noticed her absencene yet, if they heard the gun shot and looked for her. She wondered if they thought she was dead. If they did, she probably would never see them again.

As much as that made her heart squeeze painfully as she walked along, she continued to push on. She was going to live. Even if...she swallowed thickly as she dug the blade into the tree. Even if it meant being alone. Even if it meant never seeing those she loved again. She had been through heartbreak before. Oh, had she suffered. She was young when her mother died, she never experienced the world with a mother. Then she was blessed with a great father who loved her, and yet he was ripped away from her as well. Taken from her by the greediness and idiocy of the governments who caused this apocalypse.

Then she had to kill her father.

Now? She didn't know if she'd ever see those nine people ever again.

Tamaki's idiotic smile and comments.

The twins slyly grin before making a michevious comment.

Kyouya readjusting his glasses and writing in his notebook.

Mitsukuni giggling and eating cake while translating his cousins thoughts.

Takashi silently watching over them and making insightful comments.

Ritsu blushing whenever he got embarrassed, or getting angry and protective.

Satoshi cracking jokes and being a ray of happiness in dark times.

Yasuchika balancing out Satoshi's sometimes blinding happiness, and offering insightful comments.

It wasn't long after those thoughts that she found a probably once marked path. It was wide enough for a car to get through, and yet no tire tracks could be found pressed into the mud. There were vines and grass starting to grow through the dirt but was flattened by the rain drops. The mud, she noticed, with very thin. The dirt was compacted tightly and wasn't turning into smudge. She quickly transferred over. Dipping the mud ladened shoes into a deep puddle near the center and using her hands to wipe a majority off. She wiped the dirt onto a tree instead of marking it with a knife. This close to a road it could be more obvious that a human had made the marking rather than an animal rubbing against it. She made sure that the mud was far enough down and was in a vaguely arrow shape to the direction she was choosing to walk before she took off.

Part of her wondered if her insomnia was going to come back now. After all, there was no protection around her at all. She felt so incredibly unsafe with the world as she walked down the road, trying to leave as little indication that there had been a person as she could. Trying to walk very softly, but she still marked the earth enough for a tracker to be able to follow her. Which was good, she supposed, if she needed to be found quickly by someone. Bad, however, if that person wasn't someone she knew.

The passage was soon met by a wooden arch, symbolizing a nearby shrine. Hope filled her chest and her legs put forth a burst of energy and fueled her to walk further as the shrine came into view. Shelter. Proper shelter. She was nearly running at this point, not caring if she left tracks. Not caring if her shoes slapped against the mud loudly in the fairly quiet area. She headed straight for the main temple and tried the door. It was firmly locked, and that was when she noticed how downtrodded the place looked. Without anyone taking care of it, vines had grown around posts and up the walls, bits of wood were broken and rotten. Once decorative ornaments lay discarded and torn apart by savage winds.

She tried another door before giving up and going to other buildings. It took a while but she finally gave up and took her knife and wedged it between two doors and managed to break the lock with a great deal of effort. It helped that after years of corrosion and rust the lock was fairly brittle.

Haruhi entered quickly and shut the door. Blocking out the ravaging winds and icy rain. It felt amazing to not have either bashing against her back and shoulders. She rolled her shoulders and did a quick 360 check of the room before lowering herself down behind some supplies. It gave her a view of the door but she was sure that she wouldn't be noticed right away if someone entered.

As much as she planned to stay awake, she couldn't fight the exhaustion that was rolling through her body. Who knows how long she was running through the mud? She fought off a creature after all that running, and then ran some more. She walked for ages and she felt as if her legs were rubber. Her eyes closed without warning and she fell asleep. Normally, if she had been out in the rain and knew she was going to fall asleep. She would make sure she had changed out of her wet clothes and at least attempted to dry her hair so she wouldn't catch a cold.

However, she didn't have control of her body at that point, it was just so exhausted that even if she had thought of that, she probably couldn't have built up the amount of will to go through that effort. She didn't even wake up when two people entered the building and moved straight over to her. Taking her pulse and then tossing a blanket around her. She didn't wake when the male lifted her up. She didn't wake up when the blanket was lifted over her head, or when she was carried out of the building and into the main temple.


	10. Black Magic

"_When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied."  
― Herophilus_

The group headed out at first light. They feared what they would find when they got to the end of the line, however they first had to worry about finding the start. The reconvened at the sight of the struggle. The putrid scent of the rotting corpse filled their noses long before they reached the area. They covered their noses with the neck of their shirts but it didn't lessen the smell much. Even if they wanted to get out of dodge and find Haruhi, they spent time searching around the area, making sure that Haruhi really had gone to the road and that there hadn't been another person there.

They concluded that it had to be Haruhi, the people who destroyed the pension were long gone by now, safely tucked away in the city away from the creatures. Why would they stick around to see if their prey was dead? If the creatures and fire hadn't killed them, surely, the rain and cold would catch up with them and starvation would kill them off. There was no sense in wasting any more men to strike each survivor down. However, that is exactly what saved them, no one with a functioning brain running after them with the intent of putting them down. Just a single crazed creature that was easily taken care of by a once simple girl.

It was a silent journey, bitter feelings resonated in the group. Tamaki still stung by Takashi's words, and the taller male was not about to apologize for how he brought that forward. There is always a better way to deal with things, but given the circumstances no one forced him to think about hurting Tamaki's feelings. Which were the least of everyone's problems. They still had to worry about finding Haruhi, a place to stay, food, and if the rain and chill would make anyone sick.

They were thankful that the rain had let up, but because of the rain, certain areas of the forest were flooded. Areas that hadn't been the previous night. After a lot of cursing under their breaths and working around sections, they finally made it to the road.

There was a ditch at the side of the road, a trickle of excess water running off the road rushed through the centre of it. Bushes and saplings were growing along the once cleared ditch, providing enough cover for Satoshi to sneak out. He stayed in a crouch as he picked his way to the road. He was still before he looked up and down the road before signalling to the others. It was clear for miles either way. If anyone or anything were to come through, they could easily slip back into the forest and break away before the person or thing could catch them.

As they stood on the road, they debated whether to walk along the road in case Haruhi moved back out onto the road, or if they should attempt to find tracks in the forest where it led back in. Finally, they broke in three groups. Takashi, Ritsu and Satoshi went back into the forest to see if they could find any leads to where Haruhi might be. There was a road sign indicating spots of interests and stops along the road, which is where the other two groups headed. There was a shrine up ahead, which Tamaki, Yasuchika and Kaoru headed for. Tamaki and Kaoru weren't fighters, and they doubted that there would be anything at the shrines, and if it were just a single threat then Yasuchika would be able to take it out.

Mitsukuni, Kyouya and Hikaru turned and headed back towards the house. They prayed that the rain would've soaked enough of the house to lessen the flames and scare away the rest of the creatures. If so, they would start attempting to get to the medical supplies, assess the damage and see if they could move the medical supplies to the shrine. If it were empty, they would set up base there.

The walk back to the pension was short, and they snuck up away from the city. The group hunkered down near some bushes and stayed silent, listening for any sign that there was people still lounging about, awaiting their return. It was silent, besides the faint crackle of fire still burning. However, the majority of the fire had gone down.

The roof of the house had caved in, they couldn't tell, but they were sure that the upper floor had collapsed as well. Charred siding and broken glasses was the key feature of the once peaceful pension. The heavy scent of smoke still clogged their lungs but didn't make it hard for them to breath. Just before Kyouya was about to assess that it was safe to survey the inside of the house, two people walked out of the forest.

They had weapons. A male and a female. They looked strong enough for a good fight, but they wouldn't risk a fight. Especially when they didn't have a sure place to heal up afterwards. Kyouya glanced back and saw Mitsukuni sneaking away from the two of them, edging along the forest to get a better spot to listen.

As he got closer, he could begin to pick out keywords, but it wasn't until he hauled himself into a tree and positioned himself about them that he could clearly pick out their words. They were speaking quietly to assure that they wouldn't attract unwanted attention.

"...hauled ass pretty quickly," the woman spoke, kicking a charred board with her toe. She crossed her arms and sighed, "Shame that we burned the building, could've been a good place for us to start up a safe house. Y'know, get away from the creatures and have a pretty secure life."

"I thought the execution of this was shabby," the man admitted, staring into the charred house, "We didn't know who was in there. They could've had children in there that they were keeping safe. Who knows what kind of supplies they had. If we had made friends with them, we could've been a lot better off."

"Yeah," the girl chuckled, shaking her head, "but the 'higher ups'" her voice was wracked with disgust as she said that, "didn't like the fact that four people had managed to slip out without much harm or any fatalities on their part," she snorted, "They should've killed that bitch and her minions the first time they kidnapped that girl, what's-her-name."

"Well, kidnapping someone is easier if it's just a small group, now they have – well Nobu says he saw nine maybe ten people running away. They were pretty fast. The tallest was maybe six foot, shortest just under five feet," the man said, rubbing his mouth and glancing around the forest, "Do you think we should just run off? Go to another town and see if we can join another group? It'll be easier that way, no more petty killing."

The girl was silent, staring into the fire eaten wood and plastic, after a while, she timidly nodded. He held out his hand, she slipped it in and they headed off. Mitsukuni stayed in the tree until he could no longer hear them whispering to each other, then he jumped down, landing where the couple had been moments before. Kyouya and Hikaru slipped out from their hiding spots and the smaller blonde told them everything.

They needed to tell the others that the group that had attacked them was much larger than they originally thought them to be. First thing, they carefully entered the house, most of the house was nothing more than ash and splintered plants that lay at their feet anyways. A few walls and half of the stairs were still standing. They needed to see if they could salvage the medical supplies so they could later bring it to the shrine.

The group that was assigned to the shrine had just made it to the parking lot. Abandoned cars were rusted and had vines growing as they reclaimed the spot humans had taken. They moved silent, a morning mist had rolled down from the mountains and made the area look creepier than it actually was. They crept slowly, at the advice of Yasuchika. Better safe than sorry.

While they could've forgone the hesitation, since Tamaki noticed a carving in a tree deeper into the forest and quickly dove off the path to see what it was. Yasuchika cursed silently and they followed him. It was a symbol. Marked roughly with a knife it seemed. None of them were great trackers, but that was a sign loud and clear that someone recently had come into the area. They saw the shavings on the ground and quickly followed it back to the path. It was defiantly Haruhi, she probably would've gone to the shrine. A peaceful area that at the start of the apocalypse had offered health and food to those in need. After getting word that a person had become a creature within the compound, people steered clear. Wary of the shrines. Wondering if their god, whoever that was, was punishing them.

Promise of seeing their female friend again pushed them on, nearly rushing up the steps. As they reached the top, they slowed down, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. It was silent, but not deafening silent. A safe silence. The kind where there was still the rustle of wind, chirp of birds and scurrying of animals. No crows suddenly burst from the roof of a shrine, crying as they flew off being spooked by some mysterious force. No creature burst from the walls and made for them with grotesque deformed body parts.

No, it looked exactly how it should. The buildings had vines growing up the side, there was mold everywhere that the rain could hit and dust everywhere else. It looked like it was in dire need of maintenance. They wandered about the complex, moving slowly and freezing every time a creak or groan of the buildings interrupted the silence. It took longer than it had taken Haruhi to find the building she had crept in. Yasuchika saw where Haruhi had dug her blade between the door and the wall, and saw the broken lock. After telling the others to wait, he slipped inside.

Boxes and supplies were covered in a thick layer of dust. It didn't take a genius to see where the dust was disturbed and follow the puddle of water that had dropped off Haruhi. There was a damp area on the ground where she had laid down. It took him a moment to decipher other areas. Scuffs and marks in the dust that were fresher than the ones Haruhi had caused. He couldn't tell if it was another person or if it was Haruhi leaving, however one thing was certain. She was no longer in the building and they couldn't track her down with the three best trackers of their group, who were currently still in the forest.

It didn't take much longer than an hour for all nine people to regroup, sharing their experiences with each other. Takashi entered the room that Haruhi had been in and after a few minutes came out and said that there had been two other people in the room after Haruhi. Larger footprints and smaller footprints were distinguishable between the scuffs that Haruhi had made when she had entered the building. Worry and fear shot through them, what had happened to the ex-cross dresser? Had she been found and taken by someone? Did someone kill her?

The later was hazy, but Takashi knew they didn't kill her when she was in the room. There was no sign of a struggle, and they all knew she would've struggled until her last dying breath. She was alive when she left that building, whether or not she was still alive was another question. As they debated whether or not they should check for signs that Haruhi had left the compound, rain started dropping. Fat freezing drops of rain splattered down, slow at first but quickly picked up as strong gusts of wind blew it in.

Mitsukuni broke the door to the main temple down and everyone raced in. It was pitch black in the temple, a thick smell of dust clogged their nose. Takashi suddenly stiffened and grasped Mitsukuni's shoulder, telling him something was very wrong. The room suddenly filled with light, momentarily blinding the group. When their eyes adjusted, preparing for a fight, but they saw they were surrounded by people covered head to toe in black. Weapons pointed at them, guns and swords. Ready to kill if any of them moved.

Satoshi cursed and slid the katana roughly back into it's sheathe and raised his hands above his head, quickly giving up. There was no chance that they could outfight this. They were surrounded and everyone had a gun aimed at them. One move and someone would end up dead at their feet, and it wouldn't be one of their friends. Kyouya dropped his gun to the floor and the others, who had weapons placed them down as well.

A man stepped forwards. Black pants, a dark hoodie that had fabric across the mouth, giving ultimate darkness to his face. He had dark leather gloves on as well, which gripped a gun. Takashi could see the man didn't like holding a gun, just by the grip, the guy had on it, but that didn't mean the man wouldn't pass up the opportunity to shoot someone if it was to protect them. It was their group of nine against a group who obviously was using the shrine as a safe house.

"She wasn't alone," the man laugh a creepy, yet familiar laugh as he put the gun in a holster. He pulled a familiar, but ratty, puppet out of his pocket and held it up. With a tug, the hood fell down, revealing Nekozawa. "Welcome, Hosts...or should I say ex-hosts."

Tamaki nearly burst out crying in relief, for seeing a familiar face and an old friend. He stepped forwards, but Kyouya held up a hand, stopping the blonde and looking at Nekozawa. Introductions could be held off for a moment. There wasn't something more important to address.

"She?" Kyouya asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Fujioka," Nekozawa tugged his hood back up, forgoing the mouth guard. The group lowered their weapons at Nekozawa's command. They walked through the screen doors that had been painted on the other side so that if anyone entered the first area they wouldn't suspect an entire group was living just beyond the screens. Especially during the night.

The room was very vast and held many people. It was probably the largest group that the nine of them ever encountered. Possibly thirty people were moving about in the shrine. An area was sectioned off, clearly the sleeping area. A medical area was to the north, and was sectioned off by white sheets. The kitchen area was closer to the sleeping quarters and the rest of the space had people lounging about, talking and eating quietly. The talking had started up once the group had re-entered. Knowing that danger had passed.

Nekozawa's hunched over form was familiar, but none of them had seen him without a cloak so it still looked rather odd. When Tamaki asked him where it was, Nekozawa just chuckled his dark chuckle and said he couldn't sneak when he was wearing a billowing cloak. Causing most in the group to swallow nervously. They didn't want to get on his bad side, before he could scare them half to death easily, and now he could easily slit their throats without even a bat of his eyelashes.

He got to the medical area and told them to wait as he entered and whispered to someone. A few minutes later, a petite woman with dark hair that hung in her eyes exited. She wore an apron that had patches of dried blood on it, and a facemask. She removed the mask and revealed an apathetic face. Reiko Kanazuki. Mitsukuni flew towards the girl, wrapping her in his arms, at first she was surprised then a look of happiness washed her apathy away and she hugged him back just as tightly.

"You're alive," Mitsukuni breathed, pulling away and touching the girl's face, his eyes started to redden as tears threatened to spill, but he stroked her cheek before kissing her. The others politely averted their eyes to allow the couple their moment. Reiko had a faint blush on her cheeks, and a smile on her face when she turned to address the entire group.

"You cannot enter the medical area so filthy," when she spoke it was her normal tone, as if she didn't care either way but was following the rules she was assigned with. "Umehito will take you to the springs to clean off before you will be allowed to see Fujioka."

"What's wrong with her," Kyouya asked, stepping forwards, "Why is she in there?"

"She has bruising on her throat, as well as scratches on her throat, she is sick from the rain and there are also her old injuries that aren't helping her situation," Reiko answered simply, no one bothered to ask her how she knew Haruhi's gender. It would be obvious to someone who was helping Haruhi medically, at this point people could tell even if it wasn't during medical examination. Everyone was worried about Haruhi, but Nekozawa led them away. Out of the shrine and to nearby springs.

They returned, fresh and clean, a little damp, but that didn't matter. They were too nervous and excited about seeing Haruhi again, just to make sure she was alive. They needed that proof. To see it with their own eyes. They couldn't relax unless they all were safe.

They were allowed in after that, the only ones in the room were Reiko and Haruhi, the latter was lying on a mat with a blanket over her body. She had a simple white dress on and her belongings were lined up against the wall, covered with mud and grime. Haruhi looked like she had been given a bath and was the cleanest they had seen her in the longest time, all her bandages were new and she looked peaceful. Kyouya crouched down and checked her pulse, carefully avoiding pressing on the angry purple bruises and the bandages. A weak heartbeat, but a heart beat nonetheless. He released a sigh and nodded his head. A collective sigh escaped the others.

Kyouya glanced at Reiko and gestured towards Haruhi, "May I?" he asked, wanting her permission before he checked over her patient. The girl simply nodded.

At first, Kyouya went over to where they kept medical supplies and brought a few things over. He lined them beside him before he began his inspection. He didn't go through his entire life with his family business in medicine without picking up quite a deal about first aid and even advance medical care. It was pushing it to say he could save someone's live, but taking care of scrapes, cuts, bruises were easy. He could stitch someone up and clean wounds easily. It didn't make him squeamish.

The others parked themselves around Haruhi's body, some watching and some talking quietly, not wanting to watch. Takashi sat at Haruhi's head, watching intently.

When Kyouya peeled back her eye bandage, he held in his gasp of surprise. It was infected again. Reiko passed him some alcohol and he poured it over the wound. Something was wrong, and everyone knew it. By this point, Haruhi's eye should've been healed over. So, why wasn't it?

Kyouya and Takashi shared a look, but Kyouya returned to his work. When he was done, Takashi asked to talk to Kyouya alone. They walked outside, a good distance away from the shrine. Silence took them as they stood, under a canopy of trees that protected them from the rain. Kyouya ran a hand through his hair and then cleaned his glasses on his shirt. "Takashi-"

"I know," the older man whispered, "I know."

"What are we going to tell the others?" Kyouya asked, keeping his voice down, "We can't keep them in the dark about this."

The older man was silent for a good few minutes, he rubbed his mouth before releasing a pent up sigh slowly. "We need to make sure what we think is happening is actually happening," he replied, "if it's not then we'll be usually worrying them."

"If it is? Then what?" Kyouya asked, crossing his arms, "How will we deal with it?"

"The way Haruhi did," Takashi replied, a cool looking crossing over his face, hiding the pain and effort it took for him to say those words. Kyouya adjusted his glasses glaring at the man.

"Or she'll deal with it herself," Kyouya spoke up, "If she has a hint of what's happening-"

"If she wakes up," Takashi added on, frowning, he lowered his voice, "We don't have the medical equipment, and she has to be strong enough to fight the sickness and infection by herself."

"She'll be dead before morning," Kyouya whispered, turning his face away from Takashi, "I won't allow her to die."

"I won't either," Takashi gripped Kyouya's shoulder, "Talk to Nekozawa about going back to the pension and retrieving the rest of the medical supplies with the others."

Kyouya nodded, but before Takashi could head back to the shrine, he caught the man's elbow, "What are we planning to do after this?"

"Take back the city," Takashi spoke, darkness in his voice that would've once made Kyouya shudder.

A/N: Hey guys! I have made a schedule on my profile for all my stories that I'm currently working on. Go and check them out so you can see when I'll be uploading the stories (or story) you read!


	11. Beginnings of a War

"_There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature."  
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey_

There was a sense of panic in the air, and no one understood why it felt like that. It wasn't until there was a noise from behind the white curtains that they understood. The – at first – quiet noise exploded soon after. The sound of struggling and threats burst into the calm room. When the curtain was pulled back. Haruhi was struggling against who she assumed was her captor, but was actually Takashi. His hands firmly gripping her wrists and pinning her to the ground as she thrashed, growling at him.

"Haruhi," Takashi finally snapped, and the noise was enough for her to pause in her frantic attempt at escaping his clutches to focus. Her eye slowly focused her breathing slowing as she assessed the situation. Her hands clenched and unclenched a few times, tugging lightly before he released her and leaned back. Still on alert and ready to grab her if, she tried anything. The others didn't see the look of suspicion on Takashi's face, as they raced straight over, pulled her into hugs, and asked if she was all right. Her fever had broken sometime in the night, but she still looked pale and her eye didn't hold the clarity it normally did. It was rather bland and lacking emotion as she returned hugs.

After getting some food in her stomach, the others were herded back into the main part of the temple before Kyouya and Takashi sat back down. They both had trained their faces to not allow any emotions to be betrayed. Haruhi's eyes flickered back and forth, as she waited for them to say exactly _why _their friends weren't allowed in the room. Was it because they didn't want them to get sick? If so, why were those two still there? However, she didn't say anything to them; instead, she sipped on some water that Reiko had supplied to her.

Takashi didn't break down first, but Kyouya. Of the three of them, the males were waiting until Haruhi broke down and asked them the question, any question really. However, she didn't. Mostly because she didn't know what to ask, or why. He explained to her what happened, to them, and then what happened to her. She waved him passed that part, saying she lived through it but what happened the past couple days? That was what she needed to know.

"You had an infection and were ill for a couple days," Kyouya murmured quietly, averting his eyes. Wrong move. Takashi watched, as Haruhi's face seemed to be completely zapped of any colour. Her fingers clenched the blanket that draped her legs lightly and she swallowed thickly. Her mouth opened, but no noise passed her lips. Her eyes flickered up to him, then back down to her hands. Her mouth closing, she made a non-committal noise.

"We're going into the city," Takashi decided to push past the part that Kyouya was completely avoiding, "They can't get away with pushing us from our home. Nekozawa and his group have offered their assistance. I think we'll break even with their group. After minor training on our new group's part," he explained, his eyes not leaving her face. When her mouth moved to open, he continued speaking, "You'll stay here."

If they were expecting her to sit idly while they burst into the city guns blazing, they were truly delusional. She snorted at that fact and pushed her blanket down to her feet, exposing bare legs with white scars dotting them in random places. Takashi's eyes flickered down briefly before returning to her eyes. Kyouya wasn't so quick and stared at her legs for a few moments longer than Haruhi's liking, smacking him with the pillow she had been using. "I'm going with you guys, whether you guys like it," she snorted again, "I doubt any of you guys are able to get, what? Twenty, thirty people into the city and move them around without those bastards realizing what's happening."

"We'll leave Kaoru and Tamaki here with you," Takashi stood up, "We're leaving tomorrow."

Haruhi jumped onto her feet, glaring at him. "I will not be pushed aside so easily-"

"We won't have a weak link," Takashi turned around, speaking firmly. Haruhi glared at him.

"I'm not a weak link," she hissed at him, "If anything, I'm one of the tougher fighters you have. Leaving me behind wouldn't be-"

"You're injured," Takashi spoke calmly, "Weak spots on your body can be easily hit and you could fall within the first couple minutes of battle."

Haruhi stayed silent for the longest time before she glanced towards Kyouya, and straightened her back. Her eyes flickered back to Takashi, staring at him coolly. "I'm not someone you can easily push around, Takashi. I thought you would've understood by now."

Takashi looked towards Kyouya, and stepped aside. It barely took Kyouya a few seconds before he nodded, casting a warning glance to Haruhi before slipping out of the area. The two remaining were silent. Haruhi's eye was heated with emotion and anger, all directed towards Takashi. He was wondering how to properly deal with the situation without resorting to any more low blows. Or else he could lose her as a friend, ally, and maybe even cause her to go on her own and help out in her own way.

"Haruhi," Takashi murmured, looking at her and stepping forwards. "You're staying."

"I'm not letting you guys go away and cower back like a pathetic wimp," Haruhi crossed her arms. Looking non-frightening in her white cotton dress and pale complexion. The only thing that gave her any edge was the anger in her eyes, threatening to hurt him if it was necessary. He didn't doubt that she thought she was above that, but he wasn't about to let her get what she wanted. Knowing it would be certain death anyways. He told her exactly that. The girl was silent before snorting. "Takashi, from your look earlier, I think we both know it's inevitable that I die regardless. At least let me die with dignity."

Unwittingly, panic and fear flashed in Takashi's eyes. The look made Haruhi's resolve soften a bit before flaring back again. "What are you talking about?" he questioned, locking his emotions back up tightly. Causing Haruhi to bristle quietly, her eyes darted to the curtain. "They're not listening. Kyouya's distracting them by getting them to get ready."

"I lingered too long in the city," Haruhi laughed bitterly, "Lingered in the place where the radiation still incubates quietly. I would have to be stupid to realize that I would be immune to...that awful fate. The reason my eye isn't healing, as Kyouya explained, the reason its infected still is because it won't ever get better. It's the first sign, you know it."

Takashi clenched his fists, inwardly rejecting the fact that he believed the same thing. He didn't want to lose the first girl – no, woman – who entered his life and made him comfortable around her. Especially to the cruelest imaginable way. Haruhi touched his arm, and he lost his resolve. His hand came up to the side of her face and he crushed his lips against hers. He held them there, and was about to pull away when she returned the pressure. It was a desperate kiss, and she knew it.

His fingers brushed her cheek, feeling the fabric of her eye patch, sliding his fingers to her neck and feeling the bandages. She was fragile, but the strongest person he knew. She was so small under him, her skin so soft. Their lips moved together and she hesitantly moved her hands up his arms and rested on his shoulders. After a moment, he pulled away and stepped back. "Sorry," he whispered, averting his gaze.

"Is that the reason why you won't let me go?" Haruhi asked quietly, her gaze intense on the side of his face. Takashi didn't respond, and she sighed quietly. "Takashi, I can't return your feelings. It wouldn't be fair of me in this situation, and besides if I'm going to die, I'd rather not feel guilty about leaving someone who I love to that extent behind in this world."

Takashi glanced up at her, but her gaze looked aside. "So, you're set on dying?"

"Successfully transitioning the conversation," Haruhi shot a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes before nodding her head.

He rubbed his mouth and stared at her intently for a few moments. "If you come with us, you're under my orders."

She raised her hand and saluted him.

-X

Of course, that didn't sit well with the others at all. They all growled and scraped for some excuse that Haruhi couldn't go, she was still sick, should be rest, too weak. The last one got them all a look from the newly dressed Haruhi. Her previous clothes were too dirty and un-repairable for her to wear again. Instead, they had fitted her in a pair of black jeans that were possibly skinny jeans at one point but were big enough to look like loose pants on her. A black tee shirt was under her black hoodie. The others donned in similar outfits, all black clothes, a common theme around here, due to their leader being Nekozawa – the man that was born with a hatred and vulnerability to light.

She attached her guns to her legs and accepted a dagger from Reiko, a little wary when the girl said the blade had a curse. It was the morning that they were heading towards the city. More than half of Nekozawa's group had volunteered to take up this challenge. It was about twenty people from his group, matched up with the ten that joined. Thirty people in total.

Of course, they couldn't all enter the city together or the alarms would go up. They separated into groups, ten groups of three. Haruhi was forced to stay with Takashi and Kaoru. Hikaru, Mitsukuni and Satoshi were another group. Ritsu, Kyouya and Yasuchika would be another. Tamaki complained immediately when he realized he wouldn't be with anyone he knew, until Kyouya told him that he would be staying. Which he started complaining about, saying he wanted to help.

Tamaki was the least experienced fighter of the group, and was the least likely to take a life if the opportunity was there. Giving the person the benefit of the doubt and this 'war' they were making meant that there would be no room for sparing someone. It took far too long to convince Tamaki to stay there, saying that he was to protect the people there if the other group figured out what was going on and sent a few people to the shrine to kill off their people.

Then they set off. Haruhi, Takashi and Kaoru would take seven hours to get to the position where they entered the city. Everyone agreed to avoid heading directly into the city, just in case anyone was caught entering. It would give the people within the city an area for them to head out, and if they could avoid sending people in the right direction, it was better.

They were silent as they walked, Haruhi sandwiched between Takashi and Kaoru. Both keeping an eye on her, afraid she would collapse, but an odd vigour had filled her and she seemed to have energy to spare. Takashi stopped Kaoru from commenting on it with a look as they continued on. With each stride, Haruhi's energy didn't deplete. Takashi idly wondered if adrenaline was rushing through her, voiding any and all pain and fatigue. They would have to rest, the group was meeting up at Ouran in the Host Club to scope out the situation. It wasn't a straight to attack situation, they wanted to get a view of what they were up against.

There were many rules that had been recited to everyone before they left. They were not to speak more than necessary in the city, they were to find a spot to hunker down if night fell and they weren't close to Ouran. If night fell and they were outside of the city they were to wait at least thirty minutes outside the city until light came back up. With the Creatures roaming the city, it was dangerous enough, enter crazed mutated dogs to the risk factor and no one wanted to tempt it.

Pressure was on everyone's shoulders to get to the school quietly and safely. No one was to attract attention to themselves. It wasn't like the other group would actively kill three people who were seemingly making to raid a shop for some supplies, but they would if they attracted too much attention to themselves. It was a dog-eat-dog world at the moment, and as much as Haruhi and the others wanted to deny that they had fallen for it, they couldn't. They were playing right into the hands of that scenario. One group would emerge successful or neither would. There was no positive outcome for all of the people involved.

Night had begun to fall as they moved through the forest, and they knew they would have to meet up during the next day and hunker outside of the city. Takashi guessimated how far outside the city they were and made them move a couple of metres away before deeming it safe to set up camp for the night. Which consisted of a low fire that gave off just enough heat to keep them warm, thin blankets, and eating canned food silently before sleeping for a couples hours.

Haruhi spoke quietly to Kaoru about fighting, wondering how good he was with his weapons. A single gun, a semi-automatic machine gun. He laughed, admitting that he was a decent shot, but it was good that his gun spurted out bullets because that gave at least one bullet to hit the target. That was often how many bullets it took to take down a single person. It wasn't like in the movies where the people took a bunch of bullets before finally falling down. Yes, it may have given suspense of a chase, but all in all, it was not real.

Haruhi made sure that Kaoru also had blade of some sort, and he pulled out a switchblade. She gave him a smile, assured that he could defend himself successfully if someone got too close to him. However, Haruhi doubted that Takashi had taken Kaoru with him without a reason. He had taken Kaoru because he was able to kill someone, but if the fighter was more experienced and went after Kaoru, Takashi or Haruhi could step in and take them down before they seriously harmed Kaoru.

Far off in the distance, a gunshot rang quietly. Haruhi froze, but it was too far away for them to figure out why there was a gunshot. Too far away, that if someone was in trouble they couldn't step in and help them. They had to grit their teeth and press on, praying that the person who pulled the trigger was on their team and had taken down whatever opposed them.

A few minutes later, they dropped into a crouch as they approached the edge of the city. A line of houses that backed out into the forest provided enough cover for them to sneak over a fence and into a house. It was abandoned, like the many other houses. Many people would think that a house would be the perfect place to stay in, but not really. Too many windows. It allowed people and things to be able to see movement and go to investigate.

That was why they only stayed for a few moments to check the area out through the windows before sneaking out and heading deeper into the city. Ouran was about a two-hour walk from where they stood. Kaoru fell back, and it took the other two a moment to turn back to see why he fell back. His eyes were staring at the lawns of some houses and then flickered to the two.

On the lawns were dead bodies, well if you could call them. Nothing more than bones and clothes of decomposed bodies. Haruhi glanced at them before back to Kaoru. "I'm use to it," she muttered, averting her eyes before turning and continuing. Takashi waved for Kaoru to hurry up, not commenting on it. The ginger gave Takashi a look, a confused look filled with horror. His eyes snapped to Haruhi.

Six years they hadn't seen her. It had been six years since he entered the city. He didn't ever consider the fact that there were bodies of people, and no one ever mentioned it so it slipped from his mind. He realized that she had probably walked about the city, seeing the decomposing bodies. What had she done at first? Did she empty her stomach and flee? Did she have a panic attack until snapping out of it and getting out of there as fast as she could? It couldn't have been easy to see bodies of people slowly decomposing until nothing but their skeletal, covered in ratty cloth, remained.

He stuck close to them at that point. Not wanting to be added amongst the pile of skeletons that littered the streets and lawns of homes. He knew that there was a graveyard that was a while away that had bodies that were burned or buried. However, only so many bodies could be moved until people started to think _what's the point?_ and left the bodies to decompose naturally and got the hell out of dodge. Or became Creatures that wandered the streets.

As they got closer to Ouran, they stumbled over less and less bodies, but the more they stumbled across the bodies the fresher they were. The first time Kaoru saw a bird pecking at the face of a dead body, he expelled the contents of his stomach into an alley. Haruhi comforted him, and told him to just focus on the ground as they walked. He did just that. Seeing the bird eating was just too discomforting for him to do anything else.

They reached Ouran and snuck in. Heading through the winding halls that were so familiar, that Kaoru relaxed. His bunched shoulders aching as he realized that this was a safe place. He wouldn't become another body on the street, and that they were close to others. Others who wouldn't turn on them and slit their throats.

However, Haruhi was anxious. Why hadn't they seen any Creatures? Even a glimpse of one was something of a regular thing. To not see any, well it may have been a bad omen. Or a good one. It was too early to see. However, once they got to the Third Music Room, where everyone was gathered. Some groups were short one or two people, taken out. Some sported minor injuries, but no one was bleeding excessively.

Kyouya explained that one of their three-person teams entered the city and crossed a group of four, and only one person managed to get away. Haruhi nodded, listening, showing no emotion. Inside she was angry, the guy should've stayed and defended his group and tried to kill at least one of the fuckers who killed his group. Instead, she pretended that he did the right thing and then assessed her friends to make sure they weren't seriously injured.

"Does this mean they know we're in the city?" Takashi asked Nekozawa as the two came to join them.

"They were a part of our group, which is weird that they were attacked," Nekozawa mused, a dark tone in his voice. "Onto more pressing matters, who will we send out to gather information?"

Haruhi waved to Satoshi, Ritsu and Yasuchika, "We know the city like the back of our hands by this point," she explained, "We'll go and report back."

"We should stick to the same grouping," Kyouya explained, "You, Takashi and Kaoru will go east. Ritsu, Yasuchika and myself will go west. Hikaru, Satoshi and Mitsukuni will go towards the bay. Scope out areas where you guys think they'll be, but this way it's three groups with back up."

Haruhi opened her mouth to counter, but Takashi nodded his head, "We'll get more covered this way. Everyone must report back by tonight however. Regardless if we've covered everything we want to."

Haruhi reluctantly agreed, and the others followed suit.

They were back on the street before Haruhi could fully rest her feet. She mapped out the city in her mind, the East side. Where could they be hiding a big group? The area where she had been taken the first time and the second time were completely different. That much she knew. Before she plotted anything, they stopped by a tourist stop and stole a map. They broke into a store and headed to the upper level where they could open the map and have enough light without risking someone seeing and investigating.

She took a pen and with the help from Takashi marked where the second building she was taken to was, then marked the first one. They were all in the Southern section of the city; one more to the west and the other more to the east. Haruhi marked the places she was kidnapped and then figured out the routes. Depending on her location, she guessed she was taken to a closer place.

"Since you escaped both times, they wouldn't stick to the same spot," Kaoru murmured, tapping his fingers on the desk, "However they stick to the southern end. Maybe they're holed up by the docks?"

"Too obvious," Takashi grunted, from his spot guarding the door, standing to the side in case someone busted in.

"That is also the reason they would be there. Someone wanders by, they threaten them saying that it was obvious a group would be holed up there. They aren't exactly 'keep it secret, keep it safe' kind of guys," Haruhi muttered quietly, tapping the map. She earned a look from both of her companions, and she threw them a grin. "Being serious, we should probably head towards the docks, though we should also check out the area where they had kept me to check for clues."

Kaoru leaned back, placing his hands on the back of his head. "Do you think we'll have enough time to get back?'

Haruhi trailed her finger down the map, mentally calculating the time, "It might dip into a few minutes of night time, but if we're careful we can avoid any dogs and get back...if anyone says anything then I'll take the blame, saying that I took too much time thinking up areas for this section..."

Her companions made non-committal noises. No doubt, she would try, but they would explain what really happened. No point in lying. They had a pretty good lead, and they could easily get out of the situation by explaining exactly what was going on. In addition, they were supposed to be back that night, not before the sun went down.

Kaoru folded the map up and shoved it into her pocket, knocking the pen to the floor. Haruhi rolled her eyes, shooting a smile to her friend and bent down to pick it up when the window beside them smashed and Kaoru fell to the floor.

* * *

A/N: What happened to Kaoru? Who knows? I'm sure he's fine though.


	12. Bloody Night

"_The moment you believe you will fail, you have already lost the battle."  
― Bianca Frazier_

Haruhi's mouth opened, staring at Kaoru's body, her fingers inches from the pen. First denial set in. Seeing the blood, however, panic entered and she dropped to her knees. Her fingers brushing aside Kaoru's ginger strands. She felt the blood wet her fingers and pulled away, rage and grief struck next. The bullet lodged into his neck. Kaoru's eyes were searching wildly, she rolled him onto his back and ripped off her sweater, pressing it to his neck. "It'll be okay," Haruhi gasped out, tears threatening to spill. "We'll get you back to the school and everything will be okay," she promised, but they all knew that the promise was impossible. They couldn't move him that far with him bleeding from his neck profusely and expect him to survive. Kaoru weakly reached up and grasped her arm.

He garbled out something that sounded vaguely like Hikaru before his grip started to weaken. Haruhi shook her head. "No, no! Kaoru stay with us," she begged, clenching her teeth together, "Don't leave us."

When his hand slid from her arm, she let out a choked sob and her head fell forwards. No. No. No! This cannot be happening! Not after he just became apart of her life again. She needed him! She needed all her friends by her side! She felt arms around her, tugging her away and under the table. Fingers brushed her face wiping away the tears there. Haruhi's eyes flickered to Takashi's.

How could this be? How could Kaoru be dead! He couldn't be. Any moment, she knew he would get up and laugh. Saying it was a joke. A sick joke, but a joke nonetheless. She would get mad at him but end up laughing with him at the silly prospect of his death. He couldn't die. Haruhi wished she could be a child again when her mother died. Always thinking that her mother would come home from a long day of work, kick off her heels and with Haruhi's help cook supper. She prayed that she could feel the same for Kaoru, but she knew that he was long gone. Tears fell from her face at a heavier rate. Takashi pulled her against his chest, but not before, she saw the complete grief and anger on his face. He didn't hide it.

He had failed. He was supposed to stand guard to protect them; he never imagined that someone would shoot through the window. There wasn't even a gunshot. They had planned it. Had they seen them when they headed into the store? The moment he realized that Kaoru was actually shot, a planned shot. He pulled away from Haruhi and took her face in his hand, "We have to get out of here."

"But Kaoru-"

"We have to get out of here, Kaoru wouldn't want either of us to die because we mourned over his body and whoever shot him killed us too," Takashi spoke firmer, sliding out from under their shelter. Haruhi swallowed thickly and nodded, following him. She saw him slid on brass knuckles, but didn't question where he got them or why he was putting them on. They dashed to the door, throwing it open and heading downstairs. On the stairs, they met their opponents. Two men who looked like they had seen many fights in the six years since the beginning of the apocalypse.

Takashi didn't hesitate as he swung with so much anger and pain. The force of the punch resounded with a sickening crack, blood spurted out and the man fell down the stairs. Slamming into his partner on the fall. Haruhi pulled out her dagger and, before Takashi regained his composure, threw the dagger. It hit the other man in the cheek, and he let out a scream of pain. Takashi lifted the guy who was still alive and glared at him, "Where are you bastards holding up?"

The man sputtered blood as he chuckled, "Might as well kill me."

Haruhi stared coolly at him, "Or we could release him and he'd run back to his friends, like the cowered he is."

The man glared up at her, but Takashi slammed him against the wall again. Haruhi pulled the dagger from the guy's mouth and he let out another scream. Takashi growled at him to shut up. "Where?"

The man whimpered in pain before saying something incoherent to Haruhi, but Takashi picked up one word. He dropped the man and backed up. "Swift death," Takashi jerked his chin towards the man.

"Just like I gave your friend," the man chortled, blood spewing from his lips. Haruhi didn't even get to move before Takashi grabbed the man's collar and slammed his fist again and again into his face. Haruhi didn't have the heart to tell him to stop, allowing his time to vent before he stepped away. Realizing the man was long dead and punching him wasn't going to solve anything. Haruhi didn't comment just wiped the blood off the blade on her pants.

"We can get someone to come back and pick up his body," Haruhi murmured, "We'll give him a proper burial at the school."

Takashi hesitated before nodding, "We'll return back immediately," he spoke very softly, barely a whisper, "We know where they are."

Haruhi glanced up at him, normally it would be full of curiosity and question, but it was a dull look. The only thing that gave him the notion she wanted to know how, was the fact that she reacted to the news at all. He swallowed thickly, "The docks."

-X

The moment they entered the Third Music Room, a rush of emotion hit her. She blocked it out as Takashi stood stiffly, waiting for Nekozawa to approach them before he explained what happened in choppy sentences. Nekozawa turned to others and assigned a few men to go collect the bodies, but to be extremely careful and be quick about it.

Takashi then separated Haruhi and himself from the room. Taking her into an empty class room far enough away from the others that they could release their anguish without fear of anyone openly pitying them or questioning their strength. They all had faced losses; many had probably seen loved ones be killed. Though many of them had also accepted that there was death more frequently in their lives, and it was better they die sooner than later.

He opened the door and led her within before closing the doors. Her knees gave out and she slammed to the tiles below. Her knees cracked hard against the flooring but she didn't even register it. Tears exploded out of her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her stomach and let out a loud choked sob. Takashi stalked across the room and slammed his fist into the wall. He took his anger and self-hate out on the wall. Punching it until his knuckles were raw and started to bleed.

They failed to protect their friend. That's why he had gone with them, for their protection! Why couldn't they have foreseen that, why couldn't they have stopped to think that someone would be so cowardly to shoot someone through a window without any warning! They took all the blame, and that just hurt them all the more. The fact that he was dead because they failed. The fact that he was dead at all was enough to tear a hole in their hearts. Haruhi had recently gotten him back into her life and now...he was gone. Little under a year and he was gone. He was gone...

Haruhi cried until her throat was raw, and eyes were screaming in agony at the strain of producing tears enough for her to cry. After what seemed like hours, her tears dried up, and she fell to the side, curling in a tight ball. Takashi slid to his knees, resting his forehead against the wall. Hiding his face as he allowed himself to cry.

It was a whisper in the back of their minds. Hikaru.

Hikaru would be angry. He would...they couldn't even think of how much pain Hikaru would be when he returned and figured out that Kaoru was dead. Dead by a single shot.

As night fell, the room had gone completely silent. Neither had moved for hours. Both of their muscles aching and cramping, demanding to be moved. It wasn't long until they heard an anguished howl far off. Hikaru. Haruhi winced at the noise and curled tighter in on herself. The sound echoing as loud as a gunshot in the room. Throughout the night, the two stayed in the room.

The sun rose but they didn't move. It took a few hours but then the classroom door opened. Hikaru was breathing heavily, dried tears and fresh one mingling on his cheeks. Eyes bloodshot and hair mused. He didn't sleep a wink, but the two in the room barely acknowledge he entered the room. Until he snarled.

"You," he stormed over to Takashi, "You are the reason he's dead." Takashi stayed still, eyes staring at the wall blankly. "If you had gone with Haruhi's plan, he wouldn't have been shot in the throat like some animal! You promised that you wouldn't let anything happen to him, but I guess the moment there was danger you protected Haruhi instead of him!"

Takashi got up so fast, Hikaru stumbled back. A dark look full of so much pain and anger filled Takashi face. "You don't even know what happened," Takashi snarled at him, "So do not accuse me of not protecting him."

"Then why is he dead?" Hikaru snarled back, so much hate in his voice.

"A silencer and a bullet through the window makes it hard for anyone to protect anyone," Takashi retorted back, "If you think for a moment that had I seen the shooter that I would've only saved one of them, you're dead wrong."

Hikaru growled at Takashi, "Just because you didn't jump in front of the bullet doesn't mean you had no fault in his death-"

"Do you think I don't know that," Takashi growled, grasping Hikaru's shirt. Suddenly a gasp cut them off, Haruhi curled tighter, fingers digging into her hands. Her skin rippled. Takashi let go of Hikaru's shirt and hurried over to her, her face was contorted with pain. Suddenly she started coughing and blood splattered the ground.

Hikaru dropped down beside Haruhi, grasping her arm and pushing her hair from her face. Their thoughts momentarily broken from Kaoru. Neither was willing to risk two dead bodies. Haruhi pushed herself up onto all fours and heaved the contents of her stomach onto the floor. That was enough for Hikaru to take off to get Kyouya.

Haruhi clenched her fingers into fists as pain ripped through her. It was indescribable pain. It felt like she was being torn open from the inside out and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Kyouya and the others burst into the room a few minutes later, seeing Haruhi dry heaving, and the sound was raw.

Blood followed a few moments later. Her body shaking in pain and stress. Takashi was rubbing her back, unable to help her in anyway. Kyouya dropped beside her, and had Takashi shift her so he could check her face. She clamped her hands onto Takashi's; nails biting into his flesh and blood welled up. Kyouya checked her eye and peeled off her bandage. They watched as the wound healed over. Producing a slightly indented, but relatively flat patch of skin where her eye had been once. The bruises on her neck transitioned from purple to blue, to green, to yellow, and then vanished. The cuts healing over as well. Kyouya checked that fact by removing her bandages and revealing the smooth skin. Not a blemish in sight.

Slowly, Haruhi let go of Takashi's arm, breathing heavily. Twitches of pain flashing through her body. She lowered her head, pretending to collect her breath, but in reality, she was hiding her terror and fear. Mitsukuni slid his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She could feel the faint shaking of his tiny frame, and lightly squeezed his arm, reassuring him that she was okay.

After a good few minutes, Haruhi's eyes rose to Kyouya's. A fire within them that scared them all. "When do we kill these bastards?"

"We may know where they are but we need-"

"Screw a plan," Haruhi snarled, jumping to her feet, "Those bastards die today."

Her anger startled no one, they all silently agreed. Looking at Kyouya until he shook his head. "It'll be suicide."

"Then consider me suicidal," Haruhi retorted, then gave him a look. He took a breath.

"Wait a day-"

"I'm done waiting," Haruhi looked at the others, "We'll go to where they are hiding, come up from all sides. Pick them off one by one if we have to. Not a single person will leave that area alive after what they have done."

Kyouya couldn't argue anymore. If he did, then he knew everyone would get angry at him. Accuse him of not feeling any remorse about Kaoru's death, not wanting vengeance or revenge on the people who did this. Even if the henchman pulled the trigger, he knew that the root of the threat had to be destroyed or the resulting weeds would become a threat to them. Pretending otherwise was more suicidal than going into the area guns blazing without a plan.

Or at least that's what he told himself when he agreed to it. The group marched back to the Third Music Room, ready to fight and die if necessary. However, the sight of a white sheet draped over a body stopped their vigour. Nipping it in the bud before it had the chance to grow. Anguish, hatred, and sorrow filled them as they stared at the body of their murdered friend.

No matter how much they wanted to deny it happened, no matter how much they wanted to ignore the problem and somehow Kaoru would come back to life, they couldn't.

They ignored their plans to react to killing Kaoru; instead, they did what they brought his body back for. They found shovels and went into the garden of the school grounds. They spent a good deal of time digging a hole to lay Kaoru to rest before they lowered him onto the ground. A cloth completely covering his body. It wouldn't protect him like a casket would; it wouldn't have the comfort a casket would. Haruhi thought bitterly, as Hikaru and Ritsu began filling the grave with dirt, that a casket only offered comfort to the living. Saying they were doing the corpse, a comfort by putting it in satin swathed wood. When, in reality, the body couldn't feel the softness of the satin. Nor would it ever see the patted down Earth and the makeshift gravestone that was created by the combined efforts of Takashi and Mitsukuni. Two pieces of wood crossed and stuck into the ground. Kaoru names engraved into the wood.

It wasn't the first time any of them had to bury a corpse after the apocalypse. However, Takashi refused to think of his father, or mother, as he stared at the grave. They all refused to think of their own parents who they buried in the woods outside of the pension. Regretting the decisions that ultimately ended up with a good friend in the ground, covered by nothing but a thin sheet.

-X

The mourning period would be later, it was silently decided. Anger was bubbling to the surface for the ex-Hosts, the effects were contagious. Flooding through the entire room as it was explained what would happen. They would attack the building exactly as Haruhi said before. From all sides. Seven people would move in from each direction. With one direction having an extra person with them.

It was decided that Haruhi, Nekozawa, Takashi, Hikaru, Kyouya, Satoshi, and Ritsu would take the back entrance. Yasuchika, Mitsukuni and five others would go directly at the front. Drawing the attention to the front before being ambushed from all angles. Haruhi's group was in charge of clearing out the building. From bottom to top, not a single person was allowed to live. The other three groups were not allowed to enter the building, because the seven of them were instructed to shoot on sight. Fatal shots if possible, and if it wasn't, wound the person and then track them down to deliver the final blow.

It was set. They were going to bring down the group and then they would allow themselves to grief for the loss of their friend, brother, and comrade. No one mentioned that the body count would go up by the end of the night, but it was given. Haruhi pressed that it was important that by nightfall they get inside the compound and close the gates. Shutting off the outside completely. When they won, they could slip out the back and sneak away from the Creatures and dogs that were sure to come at the sound of commotion.

It was still day when they headed out. Bringing the battered corpses with them. As they got closer, the split up. Mitsukuni and his brother's group took the bodies; they were going to use it to draw as much attention as they possibly could to the front so that the others could get in without too much trouble. Haruhi just hoped the plan would work. If they couldn't get into the compound, there was no way the front end could survive a full force attack.

It took quite some time before they reached the building by the docks. They were hiding behind some crates stacked near another building. Waiting for the signal. No one knew what the signal was, but they knew that they would understand the signal whenever it was given. Haruhi spent her time checking her guns. A dull throbbing started at the back of her head, but she passed it off as nerves, and it was completely dismissed when there was a loud shout and then a louder curse. They waited a bit longer until there was a gunshot.

That was the signal.

They crept from their hiding places. Takashi, Satoshi and Ritsu were the first over, Takashi taking guard as the other two pulled the other four up onto the wall. They quickly jumped down and hurried to a door that was clearly an emergency exit used by smokers. The door was propped open and cigarette butts lay everywhere. A half-smoked cigarette lay with an ember edge, indicating that whoever was back here had fled to the front to see what the commotion was.

Gunshots, shouts and instructions filled the air from the front. The seven were ushered into the building and then Ritsu kicked the stopper out. Allowing the door to close and swallow the noise from outside. It was reduced to background noise, easily pushed aside.

The lower floor was basically empty, as everyone had run outside. Only two people stood guard at the front door, Haruhi and Nekozawa raised their guns and in succession pulled the trigger. The men fell down unable to process the fact they were even shot before they were dead. Haruhi mentally thought about how pointless their job had been as no one would enter the building, unless it was cowards sneaking away from the fight.

The seven split up into groups of two, with one group of three. Sweeping up the stairs and taking the second floor. More people were on this floor, and some fought back when they heard the gunshots. Hikaru's arm got clipped by a bullet, resulting in him firing two shots into the man's head. Not caring that one was enough to kill the guy. After that, Hikaru's anger about his brother began to consume his thoughts. He moved without thought, killing anything in his path.

Floor, after floor, they killed. Ignoring the battle outside. Only once did they run into any trouble. A man grabbed Kyouya and threatened to blow his brains out if they didn't leave. However, he didn't realize just how many people he was threatening, and Satoshi snuck up behind him. Pulled a dagger out and...well the man gave a look of surprise before the results of Satoshi's cloak and dagger approach showed. Dark blood spurted out and he collapsed, releasing Kyouya.

It was simple after that. When they reached the top floor, they looked outside. Night had fallen and the gates had closed. Outside, dozens of Creatures were battering themselves bloody against the wall and dogs were pacing around the wall, trying to find a way in. They made an agreement to leave in the morning if they all survived and the other group succumbed.

A sense of accomplishment washed through them before Haruhi collapsed, a sound of pain issuing from her lips. Kyouya checked her over for any terrible injuries. A few bumps and scrapes, but she was fine. They still hadn't figured out why she had miraculously healed earlier. They wondered if they should leave Haruhi with a guard before they headed down and fought with the rest of them.

It was agreed upon. Satoshi agreed to stay, saying that the others would be needed and if anyone came upstairs, he could easily take them out. Plus, he may have been one of the better fighters, but he despised fighting. He hated actually inflicting deathblows. He hated the feeling of seeing the fear in the other person's eyes before they collapsed to the ground, blood spilling out. So, he was able to convince the others that he wouldn't be needed. It looked like they were winning anyways.

Satoshi sat beside Haruhi, rubbing her back as she whimpered in pain from an unseen hurt. Blood splattered the ground as she heaved her stomach long since emptied from its contents. If there wasn't so much pain, she would've realized that she hadn't eaten for the longest time. Since the previous night and it had barely been half the can, she didn't feel hungry. How the hell she managed to fight and move about as if she had all of her nutrients was beyond her rational thoughts, and since she wasn't in a rational state, she didn't bother to think about it at all.

Sudden pain so sharp surrounded her head. Her vision went completely white as if a light had been shined directly into her eyes after a year in the dark. It blinded her and she grasped around until she felt Satoshi grasp her hand after he realized what she was looking for. She squeezed it back before her body went completely limp and her grip slackened. Her eyes, once wide, slowly began to close. Satoshi rolled her from her side and onto her back, calling for her to stay with him. Leaving wasn't an option for her. She couldn't die, not this way.

Satoshi smacked her face a few times before he took her pulse.

Nothing.

He searched frantically, but found the same results. He pressed his ear against her chest and heard nothing.

It took him three seconds before he stared to perform chest compression, telling her that she couldn't die. She had to be stubborn. She had always been stubborn, so why was she dying? She should be fighting for her life.

He jumped up, throwing open the window and looking down. The others were fighting, but the opposition was thinning. He took a deep breath before bellowing his brother's name and ducking back into the window. Satoshi instantly resumed chest compressions, starting normally before increasing tempo in his panic to save her life.

* * *

A/N: I know this may seem rushed...but it's the end soon. Everything's wrapping up. Honestly, I could write a hundred chapters for this story, but honestly, this is the story I wanted to tell. Haruhi's tale from meeting with the guys again to this point. I could also write a few chapters on them killing people, but I'm trying to keep this part fast paced. Just like it would be in real life. Not detailing each kill, each kill a blur because they each kill a handful of people in this chapter. Also, I'm trying to keep it centered on Haruhi at this point, which is why I didn't skip down to Mitsukuni and describe their situation, because then the chapter would've dragged out and I wouldn't have gotten to the point I wanted to.


	13. Six Lives

"_I will fight until the end"  
― Breaking Benjamin_

Takashi heard his brothers shout, and after disposing of his current enemy, he booked up the long flight stairs. Barely feeling winded by the time he reached the top. He slammed the door open so hard that it crashed into the wall and caused the plaster and wall to split where the handle hit. His grey eyes narrowed in on the two in the room, Satoshi giving the girl chest compressions. It didn't take long before Takashi told his brother to stop, and when the man wouldn't, he walked over and physically stopped him.

"It's too late," he murmured, shaking his head, "She's gone."

Satoshi met his eyes and looked back at Haruhi. Then he shoved his brother off and lifted Haruhi's body up. Pulling her head to his chest and holding her close. He couldn't believe she had died from seemingly nothing. She had healed and-

Sudden realiziation smacked Satoshi, and he lowered Haruhi's body back to the ground and looked at his brother. "W-Why did she die?" he asked quietly, forcing the words out. Takashi kept his gaze down, he slid a knife from it's sheathe and held it limply. Glaring at the thing with contempt. Satoshi grabbed Takashi's wrist, glaring at him. "Don't you dare."

"She'll change if I don't," Takashi growled out, glaring at his brother and pulling his wrist from the tight grip. "She wouldn't want to be one of those, and you know it."

"What will the others say when they return and see a gaping hole in her head?" Satoshi bit back, not backing down, "At least tell them before you do it."

Takashi went to respond, but the others scrambled into the room. Bursting towards Haruhi and practically pushed the Morinozuka's aside as they examined her body. Mitsukuni burst into tears and flung himself into Takashi's arms. Kyouya stood back as the others mourned. It only last a few moments before the questions arose. Why had she died, why did Takashi have a knife out. They were so ready to blame him, that they were surprised when Hikaru told them that it was obvious she hadn't died from a knife wound. If Takashi had a knife out there was a reason for it, a reason that didn't matter. Haruhi needed to be brought back and buried before her body began to rot and tainted their last memories together completely.

No one argued this.

-X

Nekozawa and his group collected their dead bodies and started heading back just as day broke. The other followed behind, taking the long route around to avoid any Creatures that were mulling about. The smoke from the burning corpses within the buildings fence could be seen from all over the city. That attracted all Creatures to the site, allowing for a quick escape. Takashi carried Haruhi's corpse, refusing for anyone else to carry her. Kyouya agreed with Takashi.

They reached the school and laid her down with the rest of them. The group was silent. Heart's heavy and tear stained faces. Two of their group had died, narrowing it down to only eight. They were thankful that they didn't suffer like Nekozawa's group. Out of the twenty people, only eleven survived. They took the brute of the attack. Everyone was silent in the room, mourning quietly for all their dead friends, brothers, sisters, lovers.

Nekozawa's group were going to take their people back to the shrine to bury them, and Takashi sent Mitsukuni with them. Saying that he was to bring Tamaki back to the school, but not to tell them if anyone died. That way, Tamaki wouldn't freak out and take risks. He didn't want any more causalities.

Voices trickled out until it was dead silent in the room. The faint smell of blood mixed with the scent of roses and tea that permeated the walls and floor of the Third Music Room. Haruhi's body was transferred onto a couch and the group sat around her, mourning silently. Sobs and sniffles cut through the silence at random intervals.

Takashi had excused himself and even if the others were to go and look for him, they probably wouldn't have found him. However, they stayed surrounding the dead body, afraid to leave it. Praying that she would wake up and they find some place to stay again and all ten of them could be together and happy. It wouldn't happen. No matter how hard they prayed. It could never happen. Kaoru was buried, never to awaken. Haruhi's heart had stopped and she could never return to how she was before.

A sharp snap interrupted the silence. The sound was like a gunshot in the silence and startled them all. They jumped to their feet to figure out what caused the noise, none looking towards where the noise had come from. There was a noise like teeth clicking together, and then more snaps and cracks. They all whipped around, the noise was echoing off the walls, confusing them. Where was it coming from?

After a series of different noises, they completely stopped. Plunging the room back into silence. Everyone was still on edge, until Satoshi turned back towards the couch and saw it empty. "Kyouya, Hikaru," he snapped turning towards the two, "Find my brother immediately. No one is to be alone."

The others clued in quickly to the dangerous situation. They didn't understand exactly what had happened. All they knew was there had been odd noises and then Haruhi's corpse vanished. Kyouya knew what had happened and grabbed Hikaru's arm and quickly hurried out the door. He had to warn Takashi what had happened. Takashi may have been a deadly opponent and extremely difficult to take out, but if he was caught off guard then it wouldn't take much to kill him.

Ritsu, Satoshi and Yasuchika checked their weapons before taking up guard of the room. Making sure nothing entered and nothing left. It was silent in the room, until darkness started to fall outside. Ritsu turned on a flash light and swept it over the room, his eyes narrowing when they heard movement.

A shout left Ritsu before his head cracked against the ground. The flashlight fell, and rolled until the light rested on his form, blood pooling around his head. A familiar body crouched over top of him, but it looked odd. Both arms were completely black, grotesquely deformed and the fingers look more like claws then fingers. One arm rose the claws aiming at Ritsu's throat when Satoshi rose a gun and fired it into the Creatures shoulder. It screamed and plunged back into the darkness. Yasuchika dove and grabbed the flashlight. The light sweeping around the room.

It found its target finally. Satoshi hesitated, eyes widening. "No," he whispered before Creature flew at him. Tackling him to the ground. The gun knocking from his hand and sliding across the room. Yasuchika slammed his foot into the Creature's head, allowing Satoshi to escape the claws. They skirted out of the Creature's grip, keeping the flash light on the body.

Satoshi rose his hand, warding the Creature off. Knowing it didn't matter. "Haruhi, you have to stop," he ordered softly. Praying and hoping that since she had just changed, there was still a droplet of her still buried in there. Hoping that she could control herself. He didn't want to be the one who killed her.

Suddenly the memory of her dying flashed in his mind. Takashi had been about to stab her and he stopped him. If he had allowed his brother to do that then they wouldn't be fighting against her. Regret clawed at his stomach, until he saw Haruhi shifted and launch herself at Yasuchika. Satoshi shoved the Haninozuka out of the way and was tackled by the small Creature. "Haruhi," Satoshi shouted, grasping her wrists as her claws tried to get to his throat. "Please, try to stop! This isn't you!"

He felt a brief moment of hesitation as she stopped pushing against his hands trying to harm him. Her eye stared at his for a while before they narrowed.

"What do you know about me?" her voice growled out, and the force came back twice as much. The tips of her claws hitting his throat, making him gasp in pain. It was a fleeting pain and he began struggling again. She was much stronger than he remembered and much more skilled in fighting. He couldn't flip her off of him, no matter how hard he tried.

The doors to the room burst open, flash lights quickly flickering around. The three took in what was happening, Ritsu lay dead in his blood on the ground, Yasuchika had blood coming down his head and was looking around dazed, and Satoshi was struggling with a Creature. Kyouya rose his gun, but it was too late. The doors had distracted Satoshi's attention for long enough that Haruhi was able to remove her wrist from his grip and slam them into his throat. Blood spurted out and Satoshi gurgled out a scream in pain, bloody foam issuing from his mouth as his body twitched before stilling. Eyes staring empty.

Takashi burst across the room, lifted Haruhi off his brother and swung her at the wall. She collided with a loud crack, plaster falling off the wall as her body smacked against the floor and rolled slightly. That merely dazed her before she jumped up and darted back into the darkness. Takashi slid his katana out of it's sheathe and narrowed his eyes.

"Haruhi, if you're in there, I don't blame you," he called, listening for any movement. The others were silent, their own weapons readied. They were silent and then something attacked Takashi from the side. Claws catching the side of his face, he cursed and grabbed at Haruhi's wrist, plunging the sword into her chest. An inhuman noise burst from her lips, blood trickling down from the corner, and it wasn't for the deformed facial features and arms, he would've felt bad. He removed the sword and rose to swing the blade to remove her head from her shoulders. However, she dodged the sword and began to back up.

Kyouya rose his gun and with a single shot, it the side of Haruhi's head. Her eyes went wide and she fell to the side. Dead before she even hit the ground. The room was full with fear. Staring down at Haruhi, however. She didn't move. The katana dropped from Takashi's hand, startling everyone. He turned towards his brother, body laying forgotten and dropped to his knees.

He had to bury his mother, father, and now brother. His fists clenched.

Yasuchika fell to his knees and grasped Satoshi's shirt, eyes wide. He realized that if Satoshi hadn't pushed him out of the way at that moment, he would be the one dead. Not his favorite cousin. It wasn't fair. The Morinozuka's were suppose to protect the Haninozuka's, but when it really mattered, Yasuchika wished that Satoshi hadn't done it. He would rather be the one laying down on the ground having people mourn over him than Satoshi. It meant his best friend in the world was dead.

When the doors opened again, Mitsukuni froze at the sight. Ritsu, Satoshi and Haruhi were all lying on the ground, fresh tears were pouring down everyones faces. Tamaki saw Haruhi and ran straight to her. Seeing her deformed he fell beside her and gathered her up in his arms and cried for her death. The angry sobs burst from his lips, and he buried his face into her brown tresses. He should've been there, to comfort her in her last moments before she died. Even though no one could've saved her, he felt guilty. All of them did. More now than ever.

Mitsukuni hurried over to Satoshi, hugging his brother tightly and then his cousin. Fat tears rolled down his face as he realized what had happened. He knew that Takashi blamed himself, Haruhi had gotten free because of the distraction he caused. No one else blamed him for anything, but it didn't change how Takashi felt.

Hikaru finally broke through the heavy blanket of grief and agony to remind them that they needed to be buried or their memories would be tainted by the rotting bodies. Takashi gathered up his brother and headed outside, not awaiting the others. Tamaki had Haruhi and followed after, tears still falling down his face. Hikaru and Kyouya carried Ritsu.

They worked in silence, digging three graves right beside Kaoru's, which Tamaki had begun to cry anew when he realized there had been four deaths. He was crying so hard Kyouya took over digging the grave. They lowered the three bodies into the grave and everyone tossed a handful of dirt on each body. Saying prayers or telling them goodbye. Then they filled the graves back up with dirt.

Grave markers were built for each of them and the six remaining sat around the graves.

"What will we do now?" Hikaru asked quietly, the sun had started to rise, but it wasn't yet visible. The others were silent, not knowing how to answer it. The sun continued to rise, spilling light over the grounds of Ouran.

"We continue living," Takashi spoke up. Hikaru's eyes flashed to Takashi's angrily.

"How are we suppose to continue living and act like we've lost the people most important to us?" Hikaru demanded, shoving a finger towards his brothers grave, "He's dead."

Kyouya spoke up before anyone else could say anything that could possibly start a fight, "Kaoru died while helping Takashi and Haruhi find where the people who are trying to kill us were. Ritsu and Satoshi died trying to stop Haruhi from killing everyone. Haruhi died after helping us defeat those who tried to kill us. If we don't continue living, then we'd be saying 'fuck your efforts' to all four of them."

Everyone went silent, staring at everything but each other. "We could join Nekozawa's group, put our effort into helping a larger group survive," Mitsukuni spoke up, "We can't isolate ourselves to just who we knew before. We'll die if we continue living like this."

There was no disagreement, everyone was too exhausted to do so. Hikaru stood by the graves, not leaving, saying his last goodbyes to his brother. Takashi stood beside him. "You okay?" he asked quietly, afraid that Hikaru was going to do something that put his life in risk. Hikaru jumped, turning to look at Takashi, all anger drained from his body hours ago.

"No, are you?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. Takashi was silent for a while.

"That feeling never goes away," Takashi said quietly, "It only gets easier to ignore."

Hikaru turned to look at the grave again, "Things fell apart so easily..."

Takashi stood silently beside the man until he turned away and started away. Takashi watched as he jogged to catch up with the others. He spared a last look at all the graves. He crouched down and stared at each name individually. It was his fault each grave was filled with a friend. When his eyes closed he remembered each face flickering behind his eyes. Remembered their quirks and remembered first meeting them.

Satoshi was a small baby. With a dark tuff of hair on the top of his hair and grey eyes. Always gurgling, making noises and giggling. He wasn't exactly a problem baby, but he did like to make himself known in a room. He would follow Takashi around once the boy was old enough to crawl and then walk. He placed his brother on a pedestal, never thinking he could do wrong. Takashi was the perfect role model, and sometimes Takashi didn't think he was fit for that role. He wasn't able to protect his brother, and didn't feel worthy of that role at all.

He first met Kaoru in the Host Club, at first he didn't even pay attention to the guy. Focused on Mitsukuni and his needs. After enough of Tamaki's outings to bring the group closer, it worked. He slowly opened up to the twins. He was there when they had their first real fight, the fight that caused Hikaru to dye his hair. Of course, Kaoru went to Mitsukuni, but Takashi was impartial. He thought that Kaoru had his points, but so did Hikaru. He wanted them to work to sort it out, and in the end they did sort it out.

Kasanoda was obsessed with him, but at the same time had a completely superficial view of him. Basing what he saw on the outside and getting confused. Takashi barely interacted with Kasanoda, he was calm most of the time around the redhead kohai. He would allow Kasanoda to do what he wanted, trying to get the kid to stop idolizing him. Though, it took Haruhi and Tamaki to get him to realize that it was because of Takashi's personality that people liked him, not based on what he looked like.

Haruhi. The first girl outside of his family to break down the wall the surrounded him. She was able to work her way in the moment she called out for him to help her. He had lifted her away from Tamaki, felt her slender waist and knew that she was a girl. He cared about her happiness because she cared about all of their happiness. She always wanted them to live their way to its fullest and how they wanted to live it.

"I will fight on till the end," he murmured, staring at their graves. "I won't let you regret your deaths."

"Takashi," Mitsukuni called, stopping and turning back, "Hurry up, we're leaving."

Takashi stood up, nodding. Casting one glance at the tombs before striding away. Not looking back.

**End.**

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A/N: Oh god dang it. I forgot to save my authors note from last time. So sorry guys!

The story is done! No more! I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me to see so many people enjoying my stories! I want to thank everyone who has stuck around since the beginning and the newer readers! I would list out names of the reviewers but that'll take too long! You know who you are~!

Please check out my other stories if you want, and I hope you enjoyed this story!


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